Supermarkets: reinventing the familiar

Vons and Safeway led the supermarket retail segment in operating income growth during 1995, with 54.3% and 20.2% growth over the previous year, respectively. The segment has been reconfiguring itself to incorporate more fresh produce and prepared foods and to prepare for a more electronically-oriented shopping environment. The changes bode well for the industry, which is expected to grow at a rate of 3% between 1997 and 2000.
Supermarkets are leaner and more efficient than ever before. But the behind-the-scenes efficiencies wrought by the Efficient Consumer Response initiative isn't the only story here. Supermarkets are also changing their [...]