Unified to Add 45 Stores
ed Western Grocers here said the addition of 45 new stores to its member base should help it achieve positive sales gains for the current quarter, following declining sales and an earnings loss after patronage dividend payouts for the third quarter and 39 weeks ended June 30. Sales fell 2% to $723.2 million for the 13-week quarter and 5.7% to $4.2 billion for the year to date. The company said the loss amounted to $3.1 million for the quarter and $5.7 million for the 39 weeks. Rich Martin, executive vice president, finance and administration, and chief financial officer for the member-owned cooperative, told SN the drop in sales was due to several factors, including the loss of a distribution agreement, lower retail volume at Unified's corporate-owned Sav-Max stores in northern California, and the closings of six stores.
Earnings Fall at Publix
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Publix Supermarkets here said net income fell 6.6% to $119.9 million for the second quarter ended June 30, while sales rose 6.7% to $3.7 billion and same-store sales climbed 3.5%. The company did not indicate the reasons for the earnings drop, though industry sources said it was due to higher workers' compensation and health insurance costs and increasing utility expenses.
