Pernod Ricard posted an 18% jump in total half-year sales driven by Jacob's Creek and the addition of Seagram's brands such as Chivas Regal and Martell. Seagram, bought jointly with Diageo for #5.7bn in February, contributed sales of E605m while PR's historical brands generated E898m. Total sales rose to E2.6bn. Full-year targets remained unchanged and it expected wines and spirits sales to grow 90% on 2001. n refurb costs Japanese supermarket operator Ito-Yokado has slashed its interim profit forecast by 59% as restructuring and refurbishment costs take their toll on the group's bottom line. n US chill Belgian retailer Delhaize issued a profits warning and cut its sales forecast, citing weak consumer demand and a shift towards lower-margin retailers in the US, which accounts for 77% of group business. Food Lion and Kash n' Karry chains in the US fared badly in the summer as like-for-like sales fell 1.2% after a marketing campaign by rival Winn-Dixie. n sizing down Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc, which operates and franchises 5,700 c-stores in the US and Canada, said that it would follow the strategy adopted by its Asian franchisees of opening smaller stores to cut investment costs. The company has been closing unprofitable stores and said that within two years, small 1,000 sq ft stores would account for about 50% of its North American estate, compared wth the current 10%. n Storming on Wal-Mart plans to open 300 new stores next year in the States, despite like-for-like sales in the US for September being 2% lower than expected. It plans to expand its US retail space by 48 million sq ft, a rise of 8% and it will build nine distribution centres. Internationally Wal-Mart said it planned to open 120 to 130 outlets in existing markets. n no boycott Ahold's Albert Heijn supermarket operation in Holland has called off its week-long boycott of Unilever's products. Albert Heijn stores had stopped renewing supplies of certain Unilever products once they were sold and replaced them with own label in a bid to get better terms. The two companies held talks and reached agreement. {{NEWS }}

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