Former Independent Wins $16 Million Award from Supervalu

RICHMOND, Va. — A jury here has awarded $16 million to a former independent customer of Supervalu who argued the wholesaler forced him out of business, reports said Thursday. Jonathan Johnson, the former operator of Community Pride supermarkets here, had filed a $25 million personal injury lawsuit against Supervalu in 2004, alleging that the Minneapolis-based wholesaler sabotaged his efforts to purchase Camellia’s, another small grocery chain, and that Supervalu charged more for merchandise supplied to Johnson’s stores than it did to other area supermarkets and that it collected manufacturer rebates on products that Johnson did not order. Supervalu was expected to appeal the jury’s decision, reports said.

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