CO-OP WEB SITE ATTRACTS RETAILERS IN CALIFORNIA

NEW ORLEANS -- California retailers are signing on to participate in a cooperative World Wide Web site that features electronic coupons shoppers can print in the home as well as other brand offers and recipes.

ng the retailers who recently became involved are Albertson's, Boise, Idaho, and Vons Cos., Arcadia, Calif. Four other California retailers -- Raley's, Sacramento; Ralphs Grocery Co., Compton; Lucky Stores, Dublin, and Safeway, Oakland -- already announced plans to participate.

Manufacturer participants include Dole, Westlake Village, Calif.; Pillsbury, Minneapolis, and Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J.

The community web site (http://www.supermarkets.com) is scheduled to go live next month.

The cooperative retailer-manufacturer web site is among several diverse Internet projects under way.

Another joint industry project under development is SuperMarket Trade Network, now being pilot tested with a spring launch by Philips Media, Port Chester, N.Y. The project is described as an interactive marketing and desktop conferencing service designed to enhance sales, marketing and buying practices.

Tops Markets, Buffalo, N.Y.; Smart & Final, Vernon, Calif., and Smith's Food & Drug Centers, Salt Lake City, reportedly have signed on with Philips, as have divisions of Coca-Cola Bottling, Los Angeles; Nestle, Glendale, Calif., Procter & Gamble, Sun City, Ariz., and Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill.