Market Trends

Some claim supermarkets are giving away sales to the bakery cafes that are rapidly proliferating in small towns and suburbs.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Wegmans Food Markets has said it will begin selling irradiated fresh ground beef in all its stores by mid-May, making it the first supermarket chain to introduce irradiated beef under a private label.

NEW YORK - Albertson's Inc. said today it would invest $184 million to build new stores and fuel centers in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, as it continues to face fierce competition led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Reuters reports.

ATLANTA - The Coca-Cola Company has signed a definitive agreement with Diageo and Pernod Ricard to acquire the Seagram's Mixers business and with Pernod Ricard for a worldwide long-term license agreement.

AUSTIN, Texas - Organic and natural foods retailer Whole Foods Market Inc. on Wednesday reported record sales and earnings for the second fiscal quarter (twelve weeks) ended April 14, 2002.

CHICAGO - Consumers are shopping less frequently in traditional grocery stores, while they are increasing their trips to supercenters like Wal-Mart and dollar stores, according to the latest "channel blurring" study from ACNielsen U.S.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and TROY, Ohio - Busch's Supermarkets, a grocery chain in south-central Michigan, has announced a partnership with Beeline Shopper, a kitchen-based grocery scanner and web service.

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Safeway Inc. announced on Tuesday that Steve Frisby, president of GroceryWorks for the past year, and a 30-year Safeway retail veteran, has been named president of the company's Randalls division. He succeeds Frank Lazaran, who left the company.