NEWSWATCH 2001-03-05

Winn-Dixie Stores, Jacksonville, Fla., said it will replace all the remaining Gooding's banners on the nine stores it acquired from the retailer by the end of March. The company earlier changed the banner of one of the Gooding's to a Save Rite. "We had the rights to the Gooding's name for a limited time after the purchase. We felt that the time was right to change over to our banner. We can utilize our advertising dollars more efficiently by operating under one banner," Mickey Clerc, spokesman for Winn-Dixie, told SN. The Gooding's stores primarily operated on an upscale price format, but Clerc said that Winn-Dixie will customize the merchandise and price formats for the stores to fit the demographics of each location.

want to be careful not to expand beyond our capacity to offer premier service to our customers." Publix officials also announced plans to launch the on-line grocery shopping service in the Atlanta market by the summer of 2002.

Transora, Chicago, said last week it has signed a 10-year lease on a 60,000-square-foot office space in Chicago. The company, which operates a B-to-B e-marketplace, will use the space to house its senior management, technology, business development and marketing units, as well as its customer care center. The office space is located in the city's West Loop, and the company said it will begin to occupy the space in May 2001.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago, said five of the city's supermarket companies -- Centrella Stores, Certi Saver Supermarkets, Dominick's Finer Foods, Eagle Food Centers and Jewel-Osco -- are collaborating with national food companies to raise $250,000 for the anti-hunger organization. The promotion, "Hunger Knows No Season," began yesterday.

Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., Quincy, Mass., said last week it will take over ownership of Flanagan's supermarket in South Boston following the April 30 retirement of present owner Leo Flanagan. The company will then close the store for 10 days for renovations, including replacing equipment and updating the premises. Flanagan, who operated the South Boston institution for over 25 years, said that Stop & Shop intends to retain every associate currently employed at the store.

Kroger Co., Cincinnati, said last week that it topped all other retail units in donations to Second Harvest, Chicago, a hunger relief organization. Working with more than 40 regional food banks around the country, the company's donations totaled more than 19 million pounds of food and other products valued at $32 million. This marks the third consecutive year that Kroger has been ranked as the company with the most donations to Second Harvest. "Kroger is proud to support Second Harvest," said Joseph A. Pichler, Kroger chairman and chief executive officer. "Our customers and suppliers can be sure their donations are feeding millions of hungry people."