Supervalu freezes pay, lays off workers as buyer conducts due diligence

Supervalu, the troubled supermarket chain whose banners in the Philadelphia region include Acme and Save-A-Lot, announced last week it would implement a pay freeze for all employees at its corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. The company said it will also reduce or suspend matching contributions to employees' 401(k) plans starting next year.

Earlier in the month Supervalu announced that the company would layoff 700 people, or approximately 4% of the workforce, at Shaw's and Star Market, both of which operate in New England.

In the mean time, Cerberus Capital Management, which is in talks to buy Supervalu, is still conducting its due diligence. The two companies are familiar with each other, as Cerberus joined Supervalu in buying a stake in Albertson's in 2006. According to published reports, Cerberus currently owns the entity that operates 205 Albertson's stores, while Supervalu operates 564 of them.

Supervalu, which operates Shoppers, Bristol Farms, Cub and Jewel-Osco in addition to the banners mentioned above, has lost more that $2.5 billion over its past two fiscal years, and recently reported its 14th straight quarterly sales decrease. It is the third largest grocery chain in the United States behind Kroger and Safeway.

It has been reported that private equity firms KKR and TPG Capital have expressed interest in purchasing Supervalu, as well as billionaire Ron Burkle.

Supervalu reports quarterly loss of $750 million

Supervalu reported a net loss of $750 million - or $3.54 per share - for the quarter ended December 3, 2011. The loss for the same quarter one year ago was $202 million. Sales for the quarter ended December 3 were $8.3 billion, compared to $8.7 billion for the comparable quarter one year ago.

Supervalu brands include Acme, Save-A-Lot, Albertson's, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's/Star Market, Shop 'N Save and Shoppers.

Supervalu surprise - 2nd quarter profit!

Supervalu (Acme, Save-A-Lot) announced last week that it posted a $60 million profit for its second quarter, compared to a $1.47 billion loss for the same quarter a year ago. President and CEO Craig Heckert cited game-themed promotions that were successfully tested in Philadelphia-area Acme stores as a contributor to the company's success.

Despite the profit, same-store sales for the quarter were down 1.8% for the quarter compared to the same period one year ago, and total revenues fell 2.6% to $8.4 billion. Through the first half of their fiscal year, Supervalu's net income was $134 million on sales of $19.5 billion. One year ago, the company reported a $1.4 billion loss for the first half of its fiscal year.

Supervalu operates under many banners, including Acme, Save-A-Lot, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw's/Star Market, Shop 'N Save and Shoppers.