Ahold Delhaize

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Royal Ahold NV, the world's fourth-largest food retail and foodservice group in sales and the parent company of Ahold USA, said today that it has come to an agreement with the lead plaintiffs to settle a securities class action, In re Royal Ahold N.V. Securities & ERISA Litigation, which was pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore.

QUINCY, Mass. and CHICAGO -- Stop & Shop and Internet grocer Peapod, LLC said yesterday that they have added two new distribution centers in New Jersey, which will kick off service to additional ZIP codes in the central part of the state Nov. 29.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion donated $250,000 to Johns Hopkins Children's Center last week to help the medical program build an inpatient playroom on the oncology unit of a new children's hospital, slated for groundbreaking in early 2006.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands -- In an effort to support its global strategic growth initiatives, Dutch grocer Royal Ahold entered a $500 million, 5-year agreement for a global information technology enterprise outsourcing solution.

NASHVILLE, Ga. -- Harveys, a regional supermarket chain based here and owned by the Belgian Delhaize Group, said it will close its Nashville, Ga., distribution center next May and consolidate some of its corporate office functions in an effort to cut costs and leverage the resources of its sister banner Food Lion.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Aiming to help families -- especially those who are culinary- or time-challenged -- gather at home and share a festive meal, Food Lion here is offering store-cooked dinners, including turkey, dressing and all of the fixings.

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- U.S. sales for Delhaize Group based here jumped 5.1 percent in the third quarter, but overall net profit declined 1 percent to EUR 89.7 million ($104.8 million), due to expenses and a weaker sales performance in Belgium.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Kash n' Karry Food Stores here replaced all the ground beef in its Kash n' Karry and Sweetbay Supermarkets late last week, after one of its meat suppliers, Thomasville, Ga.-based American Fresh Foods, Inc., issued a voluntary recall based on possible E. coli contamination.