NEWS WATCH: C&S TO REVIVE GRAND UNION BANNER AT TOPS SITES... PUBLIX REPORTS 5.7% QUARTERLY SALES INCREASE... BASHAS' TO OPEN NATURAL FORMAT IN PHOENIX...

C&S TO REVIVE GRAND UNION BANNER AT TOPS SITES

which acquired 12 Tops Markets in upstate New York from Ahold earlier this year, plans to operate them under the Grand Union banner -- the same banner they flew before Ahold, Tops' parent company, acquired them in 2001. C&S has rights to the Grand Union name through GU Holdings, an affiliate formed in 2001 to acquire 185 Grand Union stores when that company auctioned off its stores as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. C&S kept 12 of those stores, closed others and sold the rest to various operators in the Northeast, including Tops. GU Holdings operates 33 stores -- a total that will rise to 45 when it takes over operations of the 12 Tops in mid-February.

PUBLIX REPORTS 5.7% QUARTERLY SALES INCREASE

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets here said sales for its fiscal third quarter increased 5.7% to $4.6 billion, despite facing higher comparisons due to hurricane-related sales boosts in 2004's third quarter. Comparable-store sales increased 2.3%, Publix said, adding that comps would have been 6.7% were it not for four major hurricanes positively impacting sales last year. Earnings of $200.3 million increased 9% from 2004, and earnings per share rose to $1.17 from $1.04 in the quarter. Publix stock, which is not publicly traded, was appraised at $77.25 a share, up from $72.75, the company said. For the first nine months of 2005, Publix reported earnings of $694.3 million on sales of $14.9 billion.

BASHAS' TO OPEN NATURAL FORMAT IN PHOENIX

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Bashas' here said it will open a natural food store called Ike's Farmer's Market in central Phoenix in August, according to a news report. The store will sell high-end organic and natural foods at competitive prices, Johnny Basha, senior vice president of Bashas' real estate, was quoted as saying. Ike's will feature huge displays of produce and organic foods and will be very colorful, he said. It will open in a vacant former Bashas' in a high-end neighborhood, Basha said.

UNIONS OK NEW KROGER CONTRACTS IN VIRGINIA, GEORGIA

CINCINNATI -- Kroger here said last week that members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, Roanoke, Va., and UFCW Local 1996 chapters in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., have ratified new contracts. Local 400 approved a new four-year contract covering around 3,500 workers at 45 Kroger stores in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. In Georgia, Local 1996 approved two 52-month deals covering 16,000 employees at 175 stores overall.

BUEHLER FOODS REQUESTS EXTENSION IN REORGANIZATION

JASPER, Ind. -- Buehler Foods here said it will submit a plan of reorganization to U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Evansville, Ind., Nov. 15. The retailer initially was scheduled to submit a reorganization plan in August, but said it needed additional time to come up with a financing plan, reports said. Buehler filed for bankruptcy protection in May after borrowing heavily to purchase 16 former Winn-Dixie stores. It recently announced plans to close 17 stores.

SPARTAN BOOSTS CONTRACT WITH NO. 2 CUSTOMER

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Spartan Stores here said last week it has entered a new, three-year contract to supply all produce and floral products to its second-largest customer. Sources told SN that customer is G&R Felpausch, Hastings, Mich., which operates 21 stores. Spartan could not be reached for further comment, and G&R Felpausch declined to comment. The new contract expands a previous supply agreement between the two parties, Spartan said.