Research & Analysis

LONDON - UK supermarket giant Safeway PLC on Friday dismissed speculation from press reports saying the group may be about to become the target of a takeover offer by Wal-Mart-owned Asda Group PLC.

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Some of Fleming's vendors have complained that the grocery distributor is taking what they say are exaggerated deductions from their bills, spotlighting the tug-of-war that goes on in the low-margin businesses of manufacturing, distributing and selling grocery products to independent supermarkets.

MINNEAPOLIS - FEMSA, the operator of 1,800 convenience stores and 40 supermarkets in Mexico, has chosen Retek Inc. to help streamline its retail operations.

NEW YORK - Shares of Pathmark Stores Inc. slumped after an analyst at C.L. King & Associates cut his earnings estimates for the grocer and downgraded the stock from a "buy" to a "neutral" rating, according to a Dow Jones report.

NEW YORK - Supermarket stocks dropped the farthest in an all-out plummet of retail stocks last week, and forecasts call for an even broader market decline, according to a report from CBS MarketWatch.

PHOENIX - Albertsons Inc. last week completed the conversion of its entire Phoenix base of 36 stores to Albertsons-Osco Food and Drug stores, and a key company executive said that the concept will be expanded throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas.

Suppliers are looking to the consumer press to help them spread the word that frozen foods should be an important part of holiday meals.

The chain writes a new song of the South, dancing to a traditional retail tune that plays more to fried chicken lovers than sushi eaters.