Dart made an offer for Supermarkets General.

Supermarkets General Corp. said it received an unsolicited $1.6-billion cash takeover offer from Dart Group Corp. Supermarkets General, which serves primarily the northeastern United States, is one of the nation’s largest food retailers. The Pathmark supermarket chain is its flagship operation, and the company also owns the Rickel hardware chain, L’il Peach convenience stores and a chain of drugstores. Landover, Md.-based Dart Group, controlled by the Haft family, has interests in discount bookstores and auto parts outlets. The company last year made an unsuccessful bid to buy Safeway Stores Inc., the nation’s biggest supermarket chain.