The Food Institute Report articles from August 2004

The Food Institute Report archives from August 2004

Food business merger activity takes a dip in first six months of 2004.(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... There were 154 mergers and acquisitions tracked by the Food Institute in the first six months of calendar year 2004, off 21% from the same period in 2003. The restaurant and foodservice sector, which includes vending, was the most active,...

McDonald's launches chicken selects nationwide.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... McDonald's launched new Chicken Selects premium chicken breast strips at participating McDonald's restaurants nationwide. The all-white-meat strips are served with a choice of Tangy Low-fat Honey Mustard, Spicy Buffalo or Creamy Ranch dipping...

PepsiCo unveils "Smart Choices" program identifying its healthy products.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... In a new effort to attract health-conscious consumers, PepsiCo Inc. is gearing up to introduce a uniform labeling system that will highlight some of its healthier products. A bright green dot with the words "Smart Choices Made Easy" will be...

Smucker to divest some of Multifoods.(International Multifoods' U.S.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... The J. M. Smucker Company intends to divest International Multifoods' U.S. foodservice and bakery products division because it does not fit in with the company's foodservice strategy. Smucker's acquisition of Multifoods added an array of brands...

Challenging environment spurs baking industry to cook up new recipes.(2004 State Of The Industry Report)
August 2, 2004... Without a doubt, it was an extremely challenging year for the bakery industry as manufacturers scurried to get new products, and reformulated ones, onto shelves to address widespread changes in consumers' eating habits. Low carb, health and...

A look at private label sales by department.(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... In 2003, private label products' share of supermarket bakery department dollar sales was 27.6% in 2003, down 0.1 percentage point from 2002. Increases in dollar shares of Bakery Snacks and English Muffins were not enough to offset the decreases...

Planet Smoothie is launching Planet Smoothie Cafe, a quick casual extension of its smoothie concept.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Planet Smoothie is launching Planet Smoothie Cafe, a quick casual extension of its smoothie concept. Initially, the new concept will feature a line of fresh salads, gourmet wraps, Panini sandwiches, pitas and fresh juices.

The average time customers waited for a table at casual dining chains fell 13% from a year ago, a monthly survey showed.(News In A Minute)(Mmber services)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * The average time customers waited for a table at casual dining chains fell 13% from a year ago, a monthly survey showed. The average wait time at 200 casual dining restaurants on July 23 was 18.1 minutes, down from 20.8 minutes last year,...

Fleming Cos. won U.S. Bankruptcy court approval to reorganize around its convenience store distribution operations through the formation of a new entity called Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.(News In A Minute)(Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Fleming Cos. won U.S. Bankruptcy court approval to reorganize around its convenience store distribution operations through the formation of a new entity called Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc.

Rite Aid.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Rite Aid plans to open as many as 145 new and relocated stores across the country by March 2006. The company reported operating about 3,828 stores in late 1999, approximately 450 more than today.

Starbucks and Fortune Brands Inc.'s Jim Beam Brands will launch the test of Starbucks Coffee Liqueur in Denver, CO and Austin, TX, this week.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Starbucks and Fortune Brands Inc.'s Jim Beam Brands will launch the test of Starbucks Coffee Liqueur in Denver, CO and Austin, TX, this week. Jim Beam has also partnered with Thanasi Foods to offer Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Soaked Sunflower...

Shasta Beverages.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Shasta Beverages is converting its line of diet soft drinks to Splenda No Calorie Sweetener.

Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and Starbucks Coffee Company expanded their supply, licensing and distribution agreement.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and Starbucks Coffee Company expanded their supply, licensing and distribution agreement. The new agreement includes six additional Starbucks coffees in ground and whole bean, three new distribution channels, and the...

Meijer Inc., Grand Rapids, plans to open nine new stores in 2005 as the supercenter chain attempts to fend off growing competition from Wal-Mart and other stores.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Meijer Inc., Grand Rapids, plans to open nine new stores in 2005 as the supercenter chain attempts to fend off growing competition from Wal-Mart and other stores. Meijer operates 159 Midwestern stores. Both Wal-Mart and Target have opened...

Martin & Bayley, d.b.a. Huck's Convenience Stores, will open a commissary at its warehouse in Carmi, IL to make fresh sandwiches and other food items for their 132 convenience stores and three travel centers.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Martin & Bayley, d.b.a. Huck's Convenience Stores, will open a commissary at its warehouse in Carmi, IL to make fresh sandwiches and other food items for their 132 convenience stores and three travel centers. The commissary is tentatively...

Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. and Golden Corral Franchising Systems, Inc. signed an area development agreement under which Frisch's will open and operate 21 Golden Corral Restaurants in the Western Pennsylvania, Southern Michigan and Columbus, OH markets by 2011.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. and Golden Corral Franchising Systems, Inc. signed an area development agreement under which Frisch's will open and operate 21 Golden Corral Restaurants in the Western Pennsylvania, Southern Michigan and Columbus,...

Wild Noodles.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Wild Noodles, a new concept that is expanding its franchise nationally, is using fresh produce to help attract customers. Produce is helping drive the noodle dish sales, and is delivered four to five times a week, according to Jeff Levy,...

Wendy's International.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Wendy's International is testing a two-sided grill that officials are promising will speed up service and save the company $10 million a year in labor costs-Restaurant Business (July 26)

Friendly's Restaurants.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Friendly's Restaurants created a new, two-sided, kids menu that offers complete meals specifically tailored to two age groups. One side of the menu offers $5.99 Big Kids meals that cater to kids 8 to 12 and the other side features meals...

IHOPs.(News In A Minute)(International House Of Pancakes )(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Southern restaurateur David Paradise secured options to develop as many as 40 IHOPs during the next eight years in Cleveland and Youngstown, OH, and throughout Kentucky. Paradise and his partners have already agreed to open five of the...

Ocean Spray.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Ocean Spray will roll out an 'improved' soft, dried cranberry ingredient for use in bakery products onto the European food market in the next few months... foodproductiondaily.com.

NPD Group Inc.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * The Boston area, with some 1,050 doughnut shops, has one for every 5,750 residents, revealed NPD Group Inc., Port Washington, NY. Only much smaller Providence, RI has more doughnut shops per capita-boston.com (July 26)

Publix Supermarkets Inc. plans to open a Pix gas station in Casselberry, FL, the first new site in more than two years and just the fifth location of the concept overall.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Publix Supermarkets Inc. plans to open a Pix gas station in Casselberry, FL, the first new site in more than two years and just the fifth location of the concept overall. The Casselberry location will not offer the large convenience-store...

Nestle will launch a new chocolate bar called Blue Label in a bid to challenge the supremacy of Cadbury's Dairy Milk.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Nestle will launch a new chocolate bar called Blue Label in a bid to challenge the supremacy of Cadbury's Dairy Milk in the UK confectionery market... The Scotsman.

Cadbury Schweppes.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Cadbury Schweppes is said to be trying to develop a lower-calorie chocolate bar made with skimmed milk and it is also reviewing ending the production of its king-size versions of chocolate bars... Financial Times.

Drinking as little as a half-cup of green or oolong tea per day may lower the risk of high blood pressure by nearly 50%.(News In A Minute)(Chinese tea drinkers)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Drinking as little as a half-cup of green or oolong tea per day may lower the risk of high blood pressure by nearly 50%, according to a new study of Chinese tea drinkers that appears in the July 26 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine...

Honest Tea, the leading bottled organic tea according to SPINS, is on track to reach sales of $7 million this year and turn its first profit.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Honest Tea, the leading bottled organic tea according to SPINS, is on track to reach sales of $7 million this year and turn its first profit. Bethesda-based Honest Tea features a 12-variety line with flavors such s Moroccan Mint Green and...

YoCream.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Portland, OR-based frozen yogurt maker YoCream is preparing to embark on a major expansion, boosting operations from one shift five days a week to nearly nonstop production... MSNBC.com.

In a study to be published next month.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * In a study to be published next month, researchers found that the regular and diet versions of popular drinks such as Pepsi and Coke caused the same amount of dental erosion-The Chicago Tribune (July 26)

Eating half a grapefruit or drinking a cup of grapefruit juice daily can help a person lose weight without any other changes in diet.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Eating half a grapefruit or drinking a cup of grapefruit juice daily can help a person lose weight without any other changes in diet-The Lakeland Ledger (July 27)

The number of U.S. consumers on low-carbohydrate diets probably has peaked, leaving food manufacturers Kellogg Co. and General Mills Inc. stuck with too many products aimed at dieters.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * The number of U.S. consumers on low-carbohydrate diets probably has peaked, leaving food manufacturers Kellogg Co. and General Mills Inc. stuck with too many products aimed at dieters. U.S. food and beverage makers introduced 1,863 products...

More evidence that fish consumption reduces the chances of having a stroke comes from an analysis of results from several large studies.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * More evidence that fish consumption reduces the chances of having a stroke comes from an analysis of results from several large studies. In fact, the findings suggest that "the incidence of ischemic stroke might be significantly reduced by...

Iowa State University.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * A bit of fat added to fresh vegetables helps bodies absorb cancer-fighting lycopene and alpha- and beta-carotenes, said Wendy White, an Iowa State University associate professor of nutrition. If vegetables remain free of fat, the body will...

ACNielsen Beverage Alcohol Team.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... * Despite the challenges some state laws pose, wine sales for 2003 grew 1.6% in U.S. supermarkets, according to the ACNielsen Beverage Alcohol Team. White wine was the most popular selection with 40.2% of the volume, followed closely by red...

Mergers & acquisitions.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Baker's is purchasing three Albertsons stores in the metro Omaha, NE area that No Frills previously had planned to take over (see FOOD INSTITUTE REPORT, June 21, page 5)-Omaha World-Herald (July 23). Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, GA, signed a...

International mergers & acquisitions.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... UK confectionery group Glisten acquired the House of York toffee brand from food ingredients business Kiril Mischeff. Also included in the 120,000 [pounds sterling] deal is manufacturing equipment, product recipes and an order book. Earlier...

Latest financial reports (000 omitted).(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... LATEST FINANCIAL REPORTS (000 omitted) Current % Chge. Year Year Ago AMERICAN ITALIAN PASTA CO. (Kansas City, MO) 13 Wks. To July 2: Sales ...

Food boards lobby for place on revised food pyramid.(Washington)
August 2, 2004... A variety of food industry associations are "jockeying" for a position on USDA's updated food pyramid. The stakes are enormous for the $500 billion food industry, as the smallest change to the guidelines or pyramid can alter food companies'...

SEC starts informal probes of interstate bakeries, Krispy Kreme.(Washington)(Securities & Exchange Commission)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Federal regulators launched an accounting probe of Interstate Bakeries Corp., looking into how the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread set workers' compensation and other reserves. Interstate Bakeries said it was fully cooperating with the...

U.S. should broaden oversight of GM foods, scientists say.(Washington)(genetically modified )(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... U.S. regulators should monitor the safety of some genetically modified foods after they reach stores for any impact they might have on people's health, according to a report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The panel...

Sugar tariff quota allocations announced.(Washington)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced the country-by-country tariff-rate quota allocations of the raw cane sugar, refined sugar and sugar-containing products for fiscal year (FY) 2005. A tariff-rate quota is an import policy...

More snack makers may be doing battle with Frito-Lay.(Washington)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Regional snack makers are fighting back against PepsiCo Inc.'s Frito-Lay unit, which has been running ads proclaiming that chip eaters prefer Lay's over other, regional brands in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and elsewhere, according to The...

Food recalls reported.(Washington)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Nut Bar Co., Inc., Wyoming, MI, completed its recall of 68,760 pounds of Nut Bar brand Almonds and California Mix, 16-oz. The products were distributed in IL, IN, KY, MI and OH. Reason for recall: The products were manufactured using almonds...

In the courts ...
August 2, 2004... ... A nearly decade-old legal case involving several corn processors who allegedly fixed the price of high fructose corn syrup ended as A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co. agreed to pay $100 million, pending final approval of the U.S. District Court...

You should know ...
August 2, 2004... ... The Bush administration moved to limit shrimp imports from four of the world's largest exporters--Brazil, Ecuador, India and Thailand. For more, see page 19. ... Congress passed a bill that calls for WIC-only stores to bring their...

Freshwater crawfish tail meat from China.(Noted In The Federal Register)
August 2, 2004... FRESHWATER CRAWFISH TAIL MEAT FROM CHINA: On Apr. 30, 2003, the Department of Commerce (DOC) initiated a new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China covering the period...

Pasta from Italy.(Noted In The Federal Register)
August 2, 2004... PASTA FROM ITALY: The Department of Commerce (DOC) is conducting an administrative review of the countervailing duty order on certain pasta from Italy for the period of Jan. 1, 2002 through Dec. 31, 2002. The DOC preliminarily finds that...

Trade mission to Ireland.(Noted In The Federal Register)
August 2, 2004... TRADE MISSION TO IRELAND: The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service, Office of Export Promotion Services is organizing a Franchising Trade Mission to Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 4-5, 2004. The event...

Document available on foreign animal diseases.(Noted In The Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... DOCUMENT AVAILABLE ON FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASES: USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prepared an informational document that describes the process APHIS follows when conducting foreign animal disease status evaluation,...

Produce.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... USDA OFFERS TO BUY--USDA revised its offer to purchase 14,400 50-lb. cartons of fresh Russet potatoes (50-lb. cartons). For more information, contact USDA at (202) 720-4517. APPLES--From the San Joaquin Valley, movement is expected to...

Canned vegetables.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... CANNED VEGETABLES USDA REVISES OFFER TO BUY CANNED VEGETABLES * Deliveries between Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2004 * Case Size Cases Green Beans 24/300 149,040 Whole Kernel Corn ...

Tomato products.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... USDA REVISES OFFER TO BUY CANNED TOMATO PRODUCTS * Deliveries between Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 200 * Case Size Cases Spaghetti Sauce, Meatless 24/300 100,440 Tomato Sauce 24/300 ...

Frozen vegetables.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... PEAS--Supplies of frozen green peas are good, however, reduced yields from this seasons' crop could lead to firmer prices this fall as stocks decline. Prices on the foodservice side of the market are already up from last year and are between...

Canned fruits.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... USDA REVISES OFFER TO PURCHASE CANNED APPLES & APPLESAUCE * Deliveries between Nov. 16, 2004 -Apr. 30, 2005 * Cases Canned Apple Slices (6/10) 169,632 Canned Applesauce (6/10) 538,080 ...

Processed fish.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... TUNA--Canners of tuna worldwide are struggling to maintain regular production, as fish remain scarce in all major oceans, reported FOODNEWS. Raw material costs have risen to $1,000/metric ton in Bangkok, which is the global indicator for tuna...

Dried vegetables.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... DRIED BEANS--Dry edible bean trading remains slow as the trade experiences normal summer slowdown. Demand is light to very light. New crop pricing has come to a virtual standstill as several areas are experiencing weather problems and yields...

Dried fruits & nuts.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... PECANS--Both Louisiana growers and the Louisiana Pecan Producers estimate 2004 production at 193-195 million inshell pounds. Two Texas growers estimate an average of 190.5 million pounds. The final USDA report for 2003 is 282.0 million...

Frozen fruits.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... U.S. IMPORTS OF SELECTED FROZEN FRUITS, JAN. 1-JUNE 1, 2004 (Source: Bureau of Census) % Chge. Pounds 2004 2003 Prev. Yr. Strawberries ...

Juices & concentrates.(Markets)
August 2, 2004... GRAPE CONCENTRATE--Early low prices for grape concentrate this season were the result of large surpluses, competition from imports and the closures of Grapeco and Canandaigua's Escalon, CA processing plant. Canandaigua continues to process...

Butter.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... BUTTER MARKET, JULY 30 (Source: USDA) Cents Per Pound: 07/30/2004 07/23/2004 Chge. Grade AA 169.00 169.00 NC

Cheese.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... CHEDDAR CHEESE MARKET JULY 30 Cents Per Pound: 07/30/2004 Chge. Fr. Last Wk. Barrels 149.00 +4.00 Blocks (40-lbs.) 153.00 +5.00

Eggs.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... EGG PRICES TO RETAILERS JULY 30 (Source: USDA) This Wk. Ending Chng. From Cents per dozen: Week July 23 July 23 Extra Large-NY 74-78 72-76 +2 Large-NY ...

Chicken.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... PRELIMINARY BROILER PRICES FOR DELIVERY THE WEEK OF AUG. 2 Cents Per Pound: This Week Last Week Chicago 70.00-73.00 72.00-75.00 Cleveland Too Few Too Few Detroit Too Few Too Few Los...

Futures prices.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... FUTURES PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Cash Aug. Sept. As of July 29, 2004: Price Futures Futures Corn, bu. $2.06 2.19(Sept.) ...

Commodity prices.(Markets)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... COMMODITY PRICES (Source: Wall Street Journal) Week Week % Chge. Ended Ended Last July 29 July...

Super Saver price impact chain launched.(Extreme Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Extreme Inc., a new company focused on developing price impact supermarkets, announced its first seven locations and disclosed its intention to expand to additional U.S. markets in the future. Initial stores will include five locations in the...

"Real" sales at a grocery stores inch higher in June ...(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 9, 2004... During June, deflated or what we call "real" sales at the nation's grocery stores advanced just 0.5% over the same month last year but dipped about 3.1% from the prior month according to this exclusive Food Institute analysis of government...

... And restaurant gains slow down.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Meanwhile, "real" sales at the nation's eating and drinking places advanced 4.0% during June over June of 2003, signifying the lowest such growth this year, again largely reflective of higher food prices. Compared to May, real sales during June...

Amid Lackluster earnings results, Wild Oats looks toward expansion.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Wild Oats Markets, Inc. reached agreement for a three-to-five store test of a Wild Oats branded store-within-a-store concept with Northeast supermarket retailer Stop & Shop. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2004, Wild Oats will initiate an online...

New and old grocers move out of the conventional format.(Country Market)
August 9, 2004... Two former Kohl's Food Stores executives are planning a chain of supermarkets in southeastern Wisconsin resembling "the Kohl's of the 1960s" with an emphasis on customer service. The first Country Market USA will open in mid-August at a former...

Gourmet food delivered to your door.(Diamond Organics)
August 9, 2004... Two firms are trying to reach consumers by delivering organic and/or gourmet food to their doorstep. The first is privately-held Diamond Organics, which uses overnight delivery to ship its organic food all over the U.S. Jasch and Kathleen...

Diet firms delivering entire day's meals directly to the consumer.(ZoneChef)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Meanwhile, diet firms are also targeting time-pressed consumers looking to lose weight and eat healthier. Manhattan-based home-delivery diet service ZoneChef delivers breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack and dinner right...

Kraft seeking logistics improvement in China.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Kraft Foods Inc. is searching for a reliable logistics system in China, which is especially important there because fast economic growth has contributed to serious transportation bottlenecks, reported The Wall Street Journal Online (Aug. 2)....

Dollar stores-a high area of growth.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Small format value retailing, including dollar stores, will remain a high-growth area of food, drug, and mass retailing over the next five years, reports Retail Forward in a recently released Industry Outlook report, "Dollar Stores and Other...

Bottled water manufacturing--2002.(Illustration)
August 9, 2004... The bottled water industry has seen significant growth since the 1997 census. The number of companies (those consisting of one establishment or more under common ownership or control) increased from 109 in 1997 to 201 in 2002, as defined by the...

Sales up for major pork processor.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Smithfield, VA-based Smithfield Foods, Inc. reports increased foodservice sales, which have been fueled by demand from burger chains and their customers. Foodservice comprised about 23% of the company's $9.3 billion in sales in fiscal 2004,...

New product activity up at mid-year.(Illustration)
August 9, 2004... New food and beverage introductions broke the 8,000-mark through the first six months of 2004, representing 12.3% growth over the comparable period a year prior, according to Mintel's Global New Products Database. The half-year total is not far...

Schlotzsky.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Schlotzsky's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing a heavy debt load and mounting losses. Since mid-June, Schlotzsky's has closed 15 of 36 company-owned stores, reported CNN.com.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.'s first television commercials may hit the airways as early as this fall.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.'s first television commercials may hit the airways as early as this fall. The Winston-Salem, NC-based doughnut company and its advertising agency, GSD&M Advertising, are working to produce ads for television,...

Procter & Gamble Co.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Procter & Gamble Co. will expand sales of its specialty coffees--Millstone Organic Mountain Moonlight and Millstone Rainforest Reserve--from online and telephone orders to grocery and retail stores starting this fall.

Spectrum Stores Inc., West Point, GA, retained NRC Realty Advisors LLC to coordinate the disposition of nine convenience stores with gasoline.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Spectrum Stores Inc., West Point, GA, retained NRC Realty Advisors LLC to coordinate the disposition of nine convenience stores with gasoline. The sites will be sold through a sealed-bid sale in a "buy one, some or all" format... CS News...

Giant Industries is discontinuing its special eight-foot dollar sections at 30 convenience stores.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Giant Industries is discontinuing its special eight-foot dollar sections at 30 convenience stores, maintaining them only at 10 units located in rural areas and Indian reservations reported CSP Daily News.

Tropical Beverage Inc. signed an agreement with Skytop Investments LLC.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Tropical Beverage Inc. signed an agreement with Skytop Investments LLC to help raise capital and advise on facility expansion and acquisitions.

Dean Foods Co. plans to consolidate.(News In A Minute)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Dean Foods Co. plans to consolidate its White Wave, Horizon Organic and Dean National Brand Group branded businesses by late 2005