There's
been a lot of chatter about the future of grocery chain Safeway Stores Inc.
The speculation was elicited by an uptick in shares this week,
prompting
Dealbook to suggest that Eddie Lampert may be engineering a Sears Holdings
Corp. acquisition of the retailer. However,
Deal
Journal offers another reason for the share surge: labor agreements. Of
course Dealscape
suggested
in April that new labor contracts could spur dealmaking amongst
Californian grocers, so perhaps both blogs are right. Consolidation in the
grocery business heated up earlier this year following the Great Atlantic
& Pacific Co.'s
$1.3
billion purchase of Pathmark Stores Inc. and Whole Foods Market Inc.'s
$671
million acquisition of Wild Oats Markets Inc. —Matthew Wurtzel
There's
been a lot of chatter about the future of grocery chain Safeway Stores Inc.
The speculation was elicited by an uptick in shares this week,
