Jan. 6 at 1:17 p.m.
Filed under:
Stock activity,
Unions,
Updated
By Emily Bryson York
A Jewel-Osco at 370 N. Desplaines in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Jewel-Osco is offering all corporate employees unpaid time off between now and Feb. 26, representatives for the store’s parent, SuperValu, said. The offer extends to all SuperValu chains, including Save-a-Lot, Acme, Cub and Albertson’s.
The money-saving program is voluntary, SuperValu added, a point that was also made by the union that represents Jewel-Osco employees, Local 881. Union employees cannot be forced to take unpaid time off. The program is directed at office employees, not grocery-store workers.
On Wednesday SuperValu announced that it was closing about 20 underperforming stores in New England, Philadelphia and the West Coast. Stores in the Chicago area will be unaffected, a SuperValu spokesman said. Get the full story »
By McClatchy Tribune Newspapers
Supervalu Inc. has agreed to pay $3.2 million to 110 workers to resolve allegations it systematically terminated disabled employees at Chicago-area supermarkets, one of the largest such settlements under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Get the full story »
Dec. 2, 2010 at 5:13 p.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Jobs/employment,
Stock activity
By Reuters
Kroger Co. cut some prices in its latest quarter, fueling worries that the slow U.S. economic recovery will cause another flare-up in the supermarket industry’s intense and profit-denting price war. Get the full story »
Nov. 5, 2010 at 11:54 a.m.
Filed under:
Beverages,
Food,
Retail,
Updated
By Emily Bryson York
(Charles Osgood/Chicago Tribune)
Kraft is apparently steamed by Starbucks’ announcement that it plans to fire the company as its grocery store distributor.
On Thursday night, Kraft Foods Inc. said its agreement to supply packaged Starbucks coffee to grocery stores “is perpetual…if Starbucks decides to exit its relationship with Kraft Foods, the agreement requires Starbucks to pay Kraft Foods the fair market value of the business plus, in certain instances, a premium.”
Starbucks fired back today with a company statement saying, “We consider it unfortunate that Kraft has chosen to make public statements that we believe mischaracterize the nature of the agreement between our companies, including the term of the agreement.” The statement went on to note that the companies’ agreement contains a clause for the resolution of disputes. Both companies maintain that regardless of how their relationship is terminated, customers shouldn’t expect service interruptions.
Get the full story »
Nov. 3, 2010 at 4:14 p.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Economy,
Food,
Retail
By Associated Press
A Whole Foods in Santa Rosa, Ca. (John Burgess/Tribune)
Whole Foods Market Inc. more than doubled its fourth-quarter net income as sales rose, prompting the grocer to raise its full-year outlook on Wednesday.
The news sent natural and organic grocer’s shares soaring in after-hours trading.
Whole Foods, based in Austin, Texas, reported that its net income available to common shareholders rose to $57.5 million, or 33 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Sept. 26. That’s up from $28.7 million, or 20 cents per share, in the same period last year.
Sep. 29, 2010 at 11:43 a.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Food,
Retail
By Reuters
Family Dollar Stores Inc. forecast profit for the current fiscal year that would beat most analyst estimates and said it will speed up the pace of new store openings, sending its shares up 2.5 percent. The retailer, which prices most of its goods under $10, has attracted consumers struggling in a weak economy. It expects to reap the sales benefit of longer store hours, introduced earlier this year, and an overhaul to give more room to fast-moving items like food. Get the full story »
Sep. 23, 2010 at 3:25 p.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Updated
By Emily Bryson York
Dominick’s is rolling out an online coupon program today that sorts, organizes and personalizes offers for its loyalty-card members.
The program, called “Just For U,” is designed to create a centralized location for customers to store coupons. Members will receive personalized offers based on purchase history, gleaned use of Dominick’s Fresh Values Card. Get the full story »
Sep. 13, 2010 at 10:28 a.m.
Filed under:
Cell phones,
Internet,
Retail
By Wailin Wong
Web-based grocer Peapod has launched a free application for smartphones that allows consumers to place orders from their mobile device. Get the full story »
Sep. 13, 2010 at 9:54 a.m.
Filed under:
Environment,
Food,
Green,
Packaged foods
By Associated Press
Whole Foods Market Inc. is trying to clear some murky waters for seafood shoppers.
The grocery chain on Monday launched a new color-coded rating program — with the help of Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute — that measures the environmental impact of its wild-caught seafood. Get the full story »
Sep. 13, 2010 at 6:29 a.m.
Filed under:
China,
Food,
International,
Packaged foods
By Reuters
Oreo products packaged for distribution in China. (Lane Christiansen /Tribune)
Kraft Foods, North America’s largest food company, is looking to double the number of Chinese cities in which it distributes Cadbury products within the next two years, its China head said on Monday.
The number of cities in China in which Cadbury confectionary is sold would rise to about 40 by tapping Kraft’s distribution network, Lorna Davis, president and chairman of Kraft’s China operations told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in China. Get the full story »
Sep. 8, 2010 at 4:17 p.m.
Filed under:
M&A,
Retail
By Associated Press
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is the mystery bidder for Casey’s General Stores Inc. trying to top a Canadian rival, according to a published report. Get the full story »
By Wailin Wong
Meijer Inc. said Monday it is launching a new digital coupon program where shoppers can choose coupons from the store’s Web site and redeem them by entering their mobile phone numbers at check-out.
The mPerks program rolls out this week at the superstore chain’s 196 stores in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Customers can sign up for an account linked to their personal cell phone number at mperks.meijer.com. Shoppers select coupons from the site to be stored in their account. At check-out, keying in the phone number redeems all applicable coupons. Get the full story »
Aug. 20, 2010 at 11:43 a.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Food
By Dow Jones Newswires
Hormel Foods Corp.’s fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 11 percent as the food-processing company saw revenue continue to rise and brands like its Hormel chili did well. The result beat analysts’ expectations and the company raised the year’s earnings forecast for a third time, hiking it to $2.85 to $2.91 a share from $2.75 to $2.85. Get the full story »
Aug. 6, 2010 at 1:56 p.m.
Filed under:
Agriculture/Farming,
Exchanges
By Reuters
A severe drought in Russia could result in higher prices for bread in U.S. stores, as a spike in wheat costs may lead manufacturers to ease up on the discounts retailers pushed for during the recession.
But consumers and retailers may push back. Shoppers could opt for cheaper options as unemployment remains high, while retailers — who try to drive traffic with discounts — could point out that the spike in wheat is no where near the level of two years ago, when manufacturers raised prices on many goods. Get the full story »
July 27, 2010 at 10:27 a.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Food,
Retail
By Reuters
Supervalu Inc. posted weaker-than expected quarterly sales Tuesday but said it remains on track for its full-year earnings goals, as it controls margins and costs.
The company, whose shares rose 2 percent, said separately that Chief Financial Officer Pamela Knous, 56, will leave July 30 “to pursue other career interests.” It expects to fill the position by the time it reports second-quarter results in October. Get the full story »
