Costco Wholesale Corp.

Progressive Grocer places bets on which operators will merit headlines in 2006.

Some are painfully obvious, others will blindside you. But nontraditional competition means much more than Wal-Mart, and each grocer must decide which suspects most bear watching.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Strong retailing basics helped drive profits in the fiscal 2006 first quarter at Costco Wholesale Corp., according to c.f.o. Richard Galanti, who spoke during the retailer's Q1 2006 investor's conference call yesterday.

ISSIQUAH, Wash. -- Following a successful pilot earlier this year, warehouse club retailer Costco Wholesale and marketing information company Information Resources, Inc. have fully deployed the Costco Collaborative Retail Exchange (CRX) program across Costco's major food and nonfood departments in the United States.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., ISSAQUAH, Wash., MINNEAPOLIS and NATICK, Mass. -- The country's top mass retailers -- which also happen to be those giving many grocers a run for their money -- yesterday reported higher same-store sales for November.

Gathering in aid of the needy is what it's all about for consultant Bill Kies and his grocery industry colleagues.

WASHINGTON -- Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. finished first in customer service among food and drug retailers in a new survey of nearly 9,000 consumers.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Warehouse club retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. here saw a 12 percent increase in sales, to $4.26 billion, for the four weeks ended Oct. 30, up from $3.79 billion in the same four-week period of the prior fiscal year.