Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

BOISE, Idaho - Albertsons, Inc. has named Duncan MacNaughton its new group v.p., grocery merchandising. In his new post, MacNaughton will lead Albertsons' efforts in key center store categories, including grocery, dairy, and frozen, and will also oversee Beer/Wine/Liquor as well as the company's growing fuel center operations.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Rick Thorne, chairman and c.e.o. for Tree of Life, Inc. and executive board member of Koninklijke Wessanen, has announced he will retire following the selection and transition of his successor.

Pathmark c.i.o. Bob Schoening is building his support system from the ground up to shorten data gathering and make more time for category management.

As perishables become an increasingly important part of the supermarket mix, so will category management, but some major obstacles must be overcome first.

Getting category management programs off the ground can benefit independently owned supermarkets and their shoppers alike.

Megaretailers are increasingly turning to custom-made national brands and promotions to differentiate themselves from the competition.

In its 15 years of existence, category management has become indispensable to the industry, yet its glory days may still lie ahead. Experts in a 'virtual roundtable' assembled by Progressive Grocer analyze the current state of the art and look to its future.

LAS VEGAS - The next Dollar Store Expo, to be held June 16 to 17 here, will feature a "Food Pavilion" show within a show, along with items priced up to $5 to reflect the changing nature of the dollar store industry.