The Netherlands Competition Authority, (NMA), has conditionally approved the purchase of 79 Super de Boer supermarkets by rival firm Schuitema, which operates the c1000 supermarket chain.

The acquisition has been allowed on the basis that Schuitema sells five of the stores immediately after acquisition to prevent local competition problems which were thought likely to arise in five small towns as a result of the original deal. The NMA announced that the move would result in Schuitema having very high market share in these towns, though the effect on the company's overall market share would be small. The Super de Boer stores in these towns will therefore be sold to third parties.

International Supermarket News will be giving £15,000 advertising to the winner of the Fresh-Cut award in a ceremony at the World Fruit and Vegetable Show on 27th October 2010.

Entry for the award will open on 1st September 2010. The competition will be judged by major fresh-cut supermarket buyers. The winner will be able to use £15,000 advertising in the International Supermarket News magazine and on the website.

Safeway Inc. have reported a net loss of $1,609.1 million ($4.06 per diluted share) for the 16-week fourth quarter of 2009. Excluding a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $1,818.2 million, net of tax ($4.59 per diluted share), net income would have been $209.1 million

By Chloe Pitts

John Lewis Partnership, the employee - owned retail group which operates Waitrose, has reported healthy sales growth of 6.5% over 2009, a result which will allow the 70,000 strong staff team to be paid a 15% bonus.

The bellwether retail group has performed strongly over the year, with total group operating profit up 15% to £165.9 million, and Waitrose operating profit up 26.8% to £268.2million.  Online sales showed remarkable growth, with John Lewis Direct sales rising 18.2% to £393.5 million.

It’s a dream project, says Ernst Morten Hevrøy about the project granted by the Research Council of Norway under the scheme for excellent young researchers in the field of aquaculture. Ernst Morten Hevrøy is a researcher at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research