Comag Marketing Group, LLC

The employee union at Jim Pattison’s Overwaitea Food Group has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract.
The Vancouver Sun

In an interview with The New York Times, American Greetings’ ceo Zev Weiss (pictured at left) sketched his company’s strategy for generating revenue on the web.  It starts with understanding their core customer, who “…says that an e-card is an important part of her overall social expression, but it’s not viewed as a replacement of [...]

Netherlands-based Corporate Express NV has agreed to be acquired by Staples Inc. for $2.7 billion, ending four-month-long courtship.  The acquisition will diversify Staples’ core retail sales business by adding Corporate Express’s more profitable delivery service agreements with mostly large corporate customers.  After the acquisition, Staples will generate more than $27 billion in annual revenue — [...]

Canadian consumers, despite the increased value of the Canadian Dollar (Loonie), are still paying approximately 18% more than Americans. The Globe & Mail, Toronto (June 11, 2008)

Canadian WALMART stores carry three times the inventory of the British ASDA outlets.  WIth longer distances, in Canada, from warehouse to retail, Walmart needs more time to bring the product to market. David Cheesewright is focusing on reducing these challenges.
The Globe and Mail, Toronto

Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world’s largest bottler of Coca-Cola, forcast a 10% drop in second quarter profits, largely as a result of the weak North American economy. Especially hurt: C-stores sales of 20-oz. bottles. The New York Times (May 29, 2008)

Wal-Mart Canada announced plans to rollout more than a dozen new supercenters in Canada over the next year.  In addition, the company plans on expanding eight or nine existing discount stores to the supercenter format, and relocating two other discount stores.  Supermarket News (May 9, 2008)

Retail Support Services, USA, (RS2) and Anderson News, LLC, (ANCO) have both recently contracted the Source Interlink Companies to provide backroom RDA/RDP operational support services for incentive claim submission and collection. The arrangements take effect beginning with 1st quarter 2008 RDA and RDP claims (Jan., Feb. and March). In both cases, claim tapes for these [...]

Safeway Canada workers who are members of United Food and Commercial Workers Union voted 99% in favor of a strike if a new labor contract cannot be reached.  However, the union has said that a strike is not imminent and negotiations are slated to continue.  Supermarket News (Apr. 10, 2008)

Giant Eagle Inc. has joined a list of retailers, including Meijer Inc., Publix Super Markets Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc. and Rite Aid Corp., suing candy makers for price fixing. The latest suit cites 16% or 17% price increases insituted by Hershey, Nestlé and Mars within a two-month period beginning in December 2004. The Wall Street [...]