Costco Wholesale Corp.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Former Sunkist c.e.o. Jeff Gargiulo has joined Sundia Corp. here as chairman of the board of directors and advisors. Gargiulo will team with Sundia c.e.o. and founder Brad Oberwager to build a global produce brand that benefits both growers and consumers.

WILTON, Conn. -- As discount and drug stores add more space for food and supermarkets add more nonfood sections, retailers have moved to the muddled middle and shoppers no longer distinguish retailers along channel lines, according to a new study from Cannondale Associates here, "Redefining the Retail Landscape." The study, produced in conjunction with panel provider Lightspeed Research, finds that shoppers choose where to shop based on a retailer's ability to deliver what they're looking for, whether it's the lowest prices, bulk sizes, or unique products.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- More than 3,000 attendees from all over the country came to find out what's new in kosher, halal, and other ethnic foods at the first World Ethnic Market/KosherWorld trade show held in Anaheim, Calif. last month. The show was co-located with Natural Products Expo West.

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- A fresh foods legend has fallen on hard times severe enough to call for drastic cuts and spur rumors of an imminent demise. Intense competition has forced Larry's Markets to cut its corporate staff by 70 percent, and to bring in outside help to run the operations for the retailer's six stores.

NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart was the top traditional retailer of any kind on Fortune Magazine's annual list of Most Admired Companies, but a number of other retail food merchants made the grade on various specialty sub-lists as the business magazine recognized hundreds of firms for being named companies worth admiring by businesspeople.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wegmans Food Markets Inc. will be opening three supermarkets in the greater Philadelphia area, according to a local published report. The Northeast upscale retailer's Mount Laurel, N.J. store opened yesterday, while its Cherry Hill, N.J. location will debut in June and a Warrington, Pa. market will bow in December. Wegmans' earlier Philadelphia-area store, in Downington, Pa., opened in 2003.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Fresh food is still driving double-digit growth for Costco Wholesale Corp., which saw its fiscal Q2 results still beat Wall Street expectations even though profits slipped 3 percent during the period.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Increased demand for gasoline and food drove total comp sales at warehouse club Costco Wholesale Corp. up to 9 percent for the four weeks ended January 29. During this period, Costco saw net sales of $4.12 billion, an increase of 12 percent from $3.67 billion for the same four-week period last year.