Ahold

AMSTERDAM — Royal Ahold CEO Dick Boer expressed condolences for the victims of Monday's bombing of the Boston Marathon in a meeting with shareholders Wednesday.

"The Boston area is, of course, one of our main U.S. markets, and our thousands of employees are shocked by Monday's events," Boer said. "Our thoughts are with everyone in the city of Boston and the surrounding communities, and especially the families and friends of those affected."

The company's Stop & Shop banner has a prominent and long-standing presence in the area.

LANDOVER, Md. — Giant Food of Landover, Md., is planning to raise $1.6 million for children's cancer research, the supermarket chain said Tuesday.

The Ahold USA-owned banner, also known as Giant-Landover, announced it would launch its ninth annual Triple Winner game on Friday to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Division at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and The Children's Cancer Foundation. The annual game has helped raise $11.5 million to support pediatric cancer research since its inception in 2005.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Thirty-five Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets stores in Pennsylvania and Virginia will sponsor drug take-back events later this month.

The chains, which collectively comprise Ahold USA's Giant-Carlisle banner, will sponsor the events on April 27, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Patients can bring expired and unwanted medications, which will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner for free.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop is reaffirming its goal to reduce its effects on the environment, particularly in Massachusetts, the company said.

The Ahold USA banner, which operates 131 stores in the state, said it renewed its partnership with the Environmental League of Massachusetts as a member of the ELM Corporate Council and reiterated its commitment to help further the goals of a state law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 and 85% by 2050. In 2008, the chain announced plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2015.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold USA now has the largest number of stores that have received leadership in energy and environmental design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the supermarket operator said Tuesday.

Google has officially unveiled its testing program for Google Shopping Express, its new online delivery service in the San Francisco Bay area, signing up with retailers like Target, Walgreens and Raley's to allow customers to receive items directly from store shelves at their homes within a day.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold USA has appointed Paul Scorza as its chief information officer, the supermarket operator said Friday.

Ahold USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Netherlands-based Royal Ahold, said Scorza would assume the new position on Monday, based in Quincy, Mass., overseeing all Ahold USA information management functions, with a focus on systems and business processes to improve efficiency, effectiveness, controls and operations, reporting to EVP finance and CFO Paula Price.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold USA's Giant-Carlisle banner raised nearly $600,000 for a hunger relief program in February and March, the supermarket chain said.

Giant-Carlisle said customers at Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets donated $587,545 as part of the Bag Hunger campaign between Feb. 24 and March 9. Another campaign will take place in September.