The nation's largest traditional grocery chain is getting into the Black Friday shopping game.

Safeway and King Soopers say they've given union workers their last, best, final contract offer.

Thousands of Arizona supermarket workers won't go on strike as they planned Friday night after union leaders and two grocery chains announced a tentative labor deal 12 hours before the protest was to begin.

Making their own store-brand products gives companies better control over costs and production decisions, a key advantage as consumers' recession-driven frugality eats into sales.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Stocks rallied Thursday as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and focused on encouraging earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Futures indicated a slightly higher open for Wall Street Thursday ahead of another vast amount of earnings reports.

As far as stock prices go, supermarkets are still feeling the recession pain — especially in the US. But for some of them, the crisis has been a unique opportunity to woo customers into a relationship that they hope will become permanent.