Nonfoods

WASHINGTON - Retail prices for food at the supermarket dropped 2.5 percent in the second quarter of 2004, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) market basket survey. The informal survey on the total cost of 16 basic grocery items showed a decrease of 99 cents from the 2004 first-quarter survey.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - It has now become much simpler for food stamp recipients to buy groceries in California, since the last of California's 58 counties, Amador, Calaveras, Lake, Mendocino, Placer and Tuolumne, have implemented the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system.

The c-store segment continues to improve its portable fresh food lineup -- and reputation -- and supermarkets can ill afford to ignore their cross-channel competitors' bid to boost business from the inside out.

Sales and merchandising may center on the winter holidays, but the time is always right for an exciting hors d'oeuvres assortment.

Small retailers can reap big sales by paying more attention to their produce departments.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Sears, Roebuck and Co. here has agreed to acquire ownership or leasehold interest in up to 61 off-mall stores in key Sears markets from Kmart Holding Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for approximately $620 million in cash.

WASHINGTON - Although the Food and Drug Administration has made many improvements to the proposed bioterrorism regulations, "there is still room for more, especially with concern to prior notice and record-keeping," Susan Stout, v.p. of federal affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, said in testimony before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee late last week.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Farm Fresh Supermarkets, based here, has become the first Mid-Atlantic supermarket chain to add Healthnotes EasyAnswers Touchscreen in-store kiosks. The 35-store Supervalu subsidiary has installed 15 kiosks in 11 of its stores, four of which are using the Healthnotes kiosks in multiple departments.