Research & Analysis

MONTVALE, N.J. - The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc. today announced that sales for the third quarter ended Dec. 1, 2001, were $2.5 billion in fiscal 2001 vs. $2.4 billion in fiscal 2000. Comparable store sales increased 3.1%.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Ecolab announced it has purchased Audits International, a Chicago-based provider of food safety audits and food retail quality evaluations.

ABINGDON, Va. - K-VAT Stores Inc., Food City's parent company, has named Richard Gunn director of grocery operations.

Anthrax in the flour? Smallpox in the watermelon? We pray it won't happen, but we all know it can. Here's how food retailers are girding for the terrorist threat.

NEW YORK - Poor neighborhoods have fewer supermarkets and food service offerings than wealthier areas, according to a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency that was recently published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Reuters reports.

LONDON - Record numbers of customers helped the UK's Asda, the supermarket group owned by Wal-Mart, report double digit like-for-like sales growth over Christmas, the Financial Times reports.

LONDON - Britain's four biggest supermarket chains on Tuesday signed a code of practice intended to prevent them from abusing their power over suppliers, Reuters reports.

MINNEAPOLIS - Supervalu Inc. today announced record net earnings and earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2002 which ended Dec. 1, 2001.