- Bankrupt Eagle Food Centers has accepted bids for certain a number of its assets:
Among other companies, Kroger is described as the highest and best bidder for stores in Sterling, IL; Lincoln, IL; Decatur, IL, Ottawa, IL and two stores in Rockford, IL.
- According to the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, Safeway has asked that the British Columbia Labor Relations Board conduct a vote of the union’s members on a "final" contract offer made by the chain.
The union already has rejected an earlier offer that Safeway had termed a "last best offer."
- Reuters reports that the Indian government has tested soft drinks made locally by both Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, and confirms that they the nation's domestic safety standards.
The tests came after there was a pesticide-related scare in which the companies were accused to selling beverages containing pesticide levels way beyond European union (EU) norms. Both companies had challenged the accusations.
In New Delhi, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "In some cases they are well below the EU standards and in some, a few times higher than the EU limit"…and certainly "well within the safety limits prescribed for packaged drinking water at present."
- Albertsons reported that it has completed the dual-branding of its eight Albertsons-Sav-on stores in the El Paso market, having remodeled its stores there into food-drug combination units and adding more than 10,000 new drug store items in the process.
The company said that the dual branding of El Paso follows the "successful dual branding of the Phoenix market." To coincide with the completion of the El Paso conversion, new Albertsons-Sav-On commercials highlighting the expanded format will air on local television and radio. Print circulars will feature the "two stores under one roof" graphics and will include items from both Albertsons and Sav-on.
