Farm Stores Selects Fleming

MIAMI -- Farm Stores Grocery Inc. reached a deal with Fleming Cos. yesterday to supply grocery items to its 103 drive-through stores in Florida along with the 100 new units the retailers expected to open over the next five years. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Farm Stores is converting its existing stores into express markets. The successfully tested concept offers more product selection, sizes and competitive supermarket prices.

"We're servicing the customer with more product selection and prices comparable to supermarkets with the same fast Farm Stores drive-through service," said Maurice Bared, chief operating officer of Farm Stores Grocery. "We replace the express lane of the supermarket."

The deal was also important to Farm Stores because it plans to open 100 new stores in South Florida within the next five years.

Carlos Bared, CEO of Farm Stores said Fleming's centralized buying power and efficient distribution network "offer us competitive advantages that are important to our customers, who demand the highest quality products at a great price."