Stater Bros.

Stater Bros. Holdings Inc. (Colton, Calif.) announced a 14 percent decrease in sales for the 13 weeks ended March 27, 2005. Same-store sales decreased 18.4 percent.

For the first half of fiscal 2005, total sales are down 16.6 percent and same-store sales are down 20.3 percent.

According to chairman, president and ceo Jack Brown, the food retailer’s results were affected by the unprecedented Southern California supermarket industry labor dispute.

“It is not possible to compare any major category on our Operating Statements between fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2005,” Brown said, “due to the major effects of the unprecedented labor dispute in fiscal 2004 that affected all of the Southern California supermarket industry. The company is determined to maintain as much of the volume and as many of the new ‘valued customers’ as possible. All of our ‘valued customers’ have our commitment to provide a friendly and satisfying shopping experience on each and every one of their visits to our stores.”

Stater Bros. Holdings Inc. is the largest privately held supermarket chain in Southern California and operates 161 supermarkets through its wholly owned subsidiary, Stater Bros. Markets. Stater Bros. Markets also owns and operates Santee Dairies.