Chains Ask Court to Keep Data Under Wraps

WASHINGTON — Several supermarket chains that submitted detailed financial information in the Federal Trade Commission's suit to block the Whole Foods - Wild Oats merger have asked that the information remain protected in another lawsuit against Whole Foods, according to reports.

In a class-action suit against Whole Foods Market, the plaintiff has asked the Austin, Texas-based company to turn over documents that contain information about other chains' expansion plans, profitability by department, and competitive analyses that it obtained in the FTC case. That information was protected by a court order, and is eventually supposed to be returned to the companies who provided it.

The chains that supplied the documents to Whole Foods, including Kroger Co., Delhaize, Save Mart, H.E. Butt, Ahold, Gelsons, New Seasons and Harris Teeter, have asked the court to at least keep the same protective order in place in the class-action case so the information does not get released to competitors.

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