AMERICAN STORES CO., Salt Lake City, said it has filed a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell up to $1 billion in debt securities, common and preferred stock. The company said net proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of debt, working capital and capital expenditures.
SA. Three of those 10 Jumbo stores are still under construction. Wal-Mart, Bentonville, Ark., has a dozen units in Argentina. In a separate announcement, Wal-Mart said it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the German hypermarket chain Wertkauf.
KMART CANADA, Toronto, said it will close 10 stores in the first quarter of 1998, leaving the company with 112 in Canada.
AMERICA ONLINE said it has reached an agreement with Cybermeals, Dulles, Va., to launch an on-line meal-delivery service covering some 25,000 restaurants. The service is expected to debut in April.
McDONALD'S, Oak Brook, Ill., has expanded its test of the Big Xtra, a new oversized hamburger, to parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. McDonald's last major entrant into the sandwich arena, the Arch Deluxe, failed to live up to sales expectations despite a $200 million ad campaign. Meanwhile, the company's rival, Miami-based Burger King, has stepped up its challenge to McDonald's dominance in the french fries category, with "new hotter, crispier" fries.
THE ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL MARKETING SERVICES, Red Bank, N.J., will hold its ninth annual ARMS Retail Promotion Show Jan. 9 to 13 at the Ramada Congress Hotel in Chicago. For more information, call (732) 842-5070.
SUPERVALU'S MIDATLANTIC DIVISION, Reading, Pa., said it has begun servicing Murphy Ad Group, an association of nine independent retailers operating 13 stores in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. The group represents about $100 million in sales.
THE FOOD INDUSTRY CRUSADE AGAINST HUNGER, Washington, said the sixth annual FICAH/Carillon Invitational Golf Tournament will be held Jan. 19 during the FMI Mid-Winter Executive Conference at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Corporate sponsors -- including Andersen Consulting, Pepsi, Miller Brewing and Gibson Greeting -- will enable 100% of entry fees to be donated to FICAH's antihunger initiatives. For more information, call (202) 338-2544.
