Trading Partners

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Bunge North America's Bunge Foods subsidiary has executed a definitive agreement to sell its bakery business to Jackson, Mich.-based Dawn Food Products Inc., for $76 million.

Retailers here and abroad turn to buying alliances to level their playing field.

Astute retailers can soak up more sales if they maintain the sun care category all year.

Hy-Vee c.e.o. Ron Pearson credits the autonomy of the chain's employees for making it so successful. The corporate culture empowers associates at all levels to make decisions and rewards them for it. The company revolves around its store directors, who are permitted to make all decisions about store operations, including whether to buy from Hy-Vee's warehouse.

As beef prices reach record highs, retailers need to stock up on alternative proteins or risk losing considerable sales and consumer interest in one of the supermarket's most influential profit centers.

New products are jolting coffee and tea sales, not to mention consumers' palates.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - In another move to enhance its CCCnet marketing conference preparation and follow-up toolset, the General Merchandise Distributors Council has selected Kwikee Systems of Peoria, Ill. to provide product imaging and data collection services for 2004.

BEAVER, Pa. - Green onions were the likely source of a hepatitis A outbreak at a Chi-Chi's restaurant in western Pennsylvania that has killed three people and sickened at least 575, state health officials announced today. However, the origin of those onions and how they were tainted is still uncertain.