Independents

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway surprised analysts Thursday morning with fourth-quarter earnings per share of 62 cents, well above a consensus of 57 cents among analysts.

Total sales were up 0.9% to $12.8 billion in the fourth quarter. Higher fuel sales and an increase in the Canadian exchange rate were offset by reduced sales due to store closures and a 0.8% decline in identical-store sales, excluding fuel, the grocer reported. Same-store sales, excluding fuel, declined 0.5%. Fuel sales rose 23%.

Phoenix -- Private equity firm Apollo Management will acquire majority ownership in Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market. Apollo plans to combine Sprouts operations with another of its holdings, Henry's Farmers Market, based in Irvine, Calif. The combined company will operate under the Sprouts Farmers Market name.

Terms of the deal, expected to close in the second quarter of this year, were not disclosed. The combined grocers will have 98 stores and generate annual sales that exceed $1 billion.

New York City -- A&P plans to close 32 stores in six states, including four in the New York City area, Crain’s New York reported.

Among the stores slated to close are 14 Pathmarks, seven Super Fresh shops, four A&Ps and three Waldbaums, according to the report.

A&P operates 395 stores in eight states and the District of Columbia under the banners A&P, Waldbaum's, Pathmark, Best Cellars, The Food Emporium, Super Fresh and Food Basics. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores reported Tuesday that it lost $24 million in the quarter ended Jan. 12, compared with a profit of $2.1 million in the year-ago period.

Sales were flat at $2.1 billion, and same-store sales fell 0.3%.

Analysts expected sales of $2.05 billion, according to FactSet.

MONTVALE, N.J. — Bankrupt grocer A&P reported in a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Brenda Galgano, SVP, CFO and treasurer, will resign, effective March 27.

According to the filing, Galgano gave her notice on Feb. 10. No additional details on her departure were disclosed.

New York City -- Supermarket veteran Mike Gilliland, the founder, chairman and CEO of Sunflower Farmers Markets, was arrested after being charged in an undercover child-prostitution sting and has resigned, according to reports. Gilliland also was a founder of Wild Oats Market.

Chris Sherrell was named acting CEO following Gilliland’s resignation on Saturday, Sunflower Farmers Market said on its website. Gilliland also quit his post on the Phoenix-based Sunflower’s company's board of directors.’

Sunbury, Pa. -- Weis Markets reported Thursday that net income for fiscal 2010 increased 8.7% to $68.3 million, compared with $62.8 million in the prior year.

Sales for the year increased 4.1% to $2.6 billion. Same-store sales edged up 1.0%.

Weis Markets currently operates 164 stores in its home state of Pennsylvania and in Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia.

New York City -- Safeway will combat an aggressive crop of new rivals with an expansion that includes nine stores in the West, of which six will be in the San Francisco Bay area, according to the Oakland Tribune.

The chain plans to open stores in Pleasanton, Castro Valley, El Cerrito, Campbell, Los Gatos and Burlingame. It also is working to obtain city approvals for stores in Pleasant Hill, Emeryville and Berkeley, the report said, and is eyeing a new store in the Oakland hills.

ITASCA, Ill. -- Jewel-Osco, a Supervalu-owned company, announced that Keith Nielsen, Jewel-Osco president, has informed the company of his retirement effective at the end of the fiscal year (Feb. 28).

Nielsen’s successor will be Brian Huff, SVP specialty retail for Supervalu. Huff will transition into the position beginning Feb. 7. All operations and business strategies will continue as normal.