Chain Drug Review articles from January 2003

Chain Drug Review archives from January 2003

Harris, Eckerd associates CDR retailers of year. (CDR Retailer of the Year).(Wayne Harris, Eckerd Corp.; Chain Drug Review, 2002 Chain Drug Retailers of the Year)
January 6, 2003... LARGO, Fla. -- Once in a great while a retailer with vision, intelligence, wisdom, determination and profound retail knowledge and experience is allowed to lead and interact with a group of retailing associates eager to respond to those gifts,...

Boots looks for a new chief exec.(Boots Company PLC; Steve Russell, chief executive officer, to be replaced; John McGrath, chairman, plans to step down)
January 6, 2003... NOTTINGHAM, England -- After a British newspaper reported last month that Boots PLC was looking to replace its chairman and chief executive officer executives at the firm confirmed the speculation, saying it was not a secret that it was about...

Long cited for impact on industry. (Ronald L. Ziegler Lifetime Achievement Award).(Bob Long, Longs Drug Stores Corp.)
January 6, 2003... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- When Bob Long returned from Hawaii in 1970 after spending a decade as a store manager with the chain that bears his family's name, Longs Drug Stores operated 46 outlets and had annual sales of $144 million. Its...

J&J's Rizzotto honored for life's work. (Ronald L. Ziegler Lifetime Achievement Award).(Johnson and Johnson, Pat Rizzotto, vice president of global customer initiatives)
January 6, 2003... SKILLMAN, N.J. -- Most businessmen wonder about the future. Pat Rizzotto helps create it. As vice president of global customer initiatives at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Rizzotto is integrally involved with international trade organizations,...

Holiday sales lackluster at drug chains.(shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Disappointing--but not surprising. That sentence best sums up the just-ended holiday selling season for America's chain drug retailers. In the end the six fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the uneven weather,...

No progress in Medicaid controversy.(Delaware Medicaid program; Rite Aid Corp., Happy Harry's Inc., no pharmacy services to Medicaid beneficiaries)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... WILMINGTON, Del. -- A meeting described as having been cordial but disappointing failed to resolve differences between Rite Aid Corp. and Delaware officials concerning that states Medicaid program. Consequently, the drug chain has decided to...

Snyder's appointments.(Snyders Drug Stores/Drug Emporium)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Snyders Drug Stores/Drug Emporium has named two executives to the team that will run the wholesale operation the company will operate from a former Phar-Mor Inc. warehouse in Austintown, Ohio. Dick Beaulieu is the...

Chain Drug Consortium readies new brand.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- The Chain Drug Consortium will supply a wide range of products to its member companies under a new exclusive brand name. Beginning this winter the consortium will provide "a bunch of items in a hurry," notes Bob Berman, vice...

Walgreens accepts AARP Rx cards.(American Association of Retired Persons)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has agreed to accept the AARP MembeRx Choice and AARP Prescription Savings Service discount cards chainwide. The cards, provided by AARP Pharmacy Services, give seniors an average savings on prescription...

Wal-Mart taps Fleming to run Internet division.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... BRISBANE, Calif. -- John Fleming, who has been the chief operating officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s walmart.com web site since November 2001, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of the Internet operation. "The...

Judge rejects bid to move trial of Grass, associates.(Rite Aid Corp.)
January 6, 2003... HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A federal judge here has rejected a request from former Rite Aid Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Martin Grass and his codefendants to move the trial out of Harrisburg. U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Sylvia...

Dreiling exits as exec VP at Safeway.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Rick Dreiling has resigned as executive vice president of marketing, manufacturing and distribution at Safeway Inc. Dreiling had served in that position at the supermarket and food/drug combination store operator since...

Eckerd upgrading pharmacy systems.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... LARGO, Fla. -- Eckerd Corp. is in the midst of upgrading its pharmacy technology package with the addition of an intelligent network and pre- and post-editing services from NDCHealth and a pharmacy system from TechRx Inc. The technology...

Kmart stock is delisted by the NYSE.(New York Stock Exchange)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... TROY, Mich. -- New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) officials last month halted trading of the common stock and trust convertible preferred securities of Kmart Corp. after the retailer's share price did not exceed $1 for 30 consecutive trading days....

Cardinal names Millar, Fotiades to key posts.(Cardinal Health Inc.)
January 6, 2003... DUBLIN, Ohio -- James Millar and George Fotiades have been named president and chief executive officer of their respective divisions of Cardinal Health Inc. Millar, a 16-year veteran at the pharmaceutical distributor, heads the company's...

NACDS steps up Marketplace promos.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores is promoting its 2003 Marketplace Conference with a campaign entitled "It'll Blow You Away." The initiative includes the debut of Marketplace Magazine, which offers...

Mail-order Rx facility sold to Aetna by Eckerd.(Eckerd Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... LARGO, Fla. -- Eckerd Corp. agreed last month to sell its mail-order pharmacy facility in Kansas City to the insurance provider Aetna Inc. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close later this month, were not disclosed. ...

Walgreens, Mayo Clinic extend pact.(Website info)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has extended its agreement with Mayo Clinic Health Information to provide health information on the drug chain's web site until 2009. The accord, which expands a deal between the two entities that began in...

Retail forecast '03.
January 6, 2003... CHAIN DRUG EXECS LOOK AHEAD The intersection of government policy and the chain drug industry is expected to be sharper this year than it has ever been. Major changes are being considered in both Medicare and Medicaid, with potentially...

Coke names president. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... ATLANTA -- Steven Heyer0 has been named president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Co. He has been president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola Ventures and Coca-Cola Latin America. "Over the past 18 months Steve has...

Cadbury to acquire Adams for $42 billion. (Supplier News).(from Pfizer)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Pfizer Inc. has agreed to sell its Adams confectionery business for $4.2 billion in cash to Cadbury Schweppes PLC. In addition, Pfizer announced it will divest its Schick-Wilkinson Sword shaving products business within a year....

Innovative concepts drive growth of Gerson. (Supplier News).
January 6, 2003... OLATHE, Kan. -- Rapidly bringing innovative products to market has doubled the 62-year-old Gerson Cos.' sales over the past five years to some $100 million, and there's no end to the growth in sight. Exemplifying the seasonal and giftware...

Consortium aims to foster gains at checkstand. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... CHICAGO -- Masterfoods USA, Time Distribution Services (TDS), Wrigley Sales Co. and the consulting firm Dechert-Hampe & Co. (DHC) have formed a consortium to work with retailers on checkstand merchandising and management. The goal,...

P&G adds items to Max Factor line. (Supplier News).(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Max Factor line)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is poised to extend its Max Factor line with the launch of two items designed to enhance lashes and lips. Max Factor Stretch & Separate mascara is designed to address women's need for separated lashes...

Revlon gets $150 million to fund growth program. (Supplier News).(MacAndrews & Forbes)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- An investment firm owned by Revlon Inc. chairman Ron Perleman has agreed to provide the debt-riddled cosmetics company with $150 million in cash to fund its growth plan. The investment firm, MacAndrews & Forbes, will provide...

Cover Girl lip color line is expanding. (Supplier News).(lipstick)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- The Cover Girl Outlast All-Day Lipcolor palette will be expanded this month to a total of 48 shades. Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is rolling out its Cover Girl Outlast Pearls, with a luxurious, luminescent finish, in 14...

Albertsons net up 9.1% despite 4.2% sales slide. (Business).
January 6, 2003... BOISE, Idaho -- Buoyed by improved gross margins, the effects of various noncomparable items and a lower tax rate, Albertsons Inc. saw its bottom line advance despite declining sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2002. However, earnings...

Shoppers Drug Mart firing on all cylinders. (Business).(finances good)
January 6, 2003... NORTH YORK, Ontario -- By all measures the third quarter of 2002 was an exceptional period for Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM). Canada's largest franchisor of drug stores generated net income of $63.8 million (Canadian) for the 16 weeks ended...

Ahold USA can't save parent from lower profits. (Business).
January 6, 2003... ZAANDAM, The Netherlands -- Despite another period of double-digit increases in both sales and operating profits at its divisions in the United States, net earnings at Royal Ahold NV took a double-digit dive in the third quarter. In addition,...

A look at the industry 25 years ago and the start of CDR. (My Turn).(Chain Drug Review)
January 6, 2003... In September of 1978 Affiliated Drug Stores and Associated Chain Drug Stores, the two major chain drug buying groups, met in New York City for their annual fall buying shows. Associated president Ira Sham and Affiliated head Phil Weinstein both...

NACDS makes impact on health care policy. (My Turn).
January 6, 2003... Because the major issues confronting retail pharmacy have not changed over the course of the past two years, a facile assumption would be that the National Association of Chain Drug Stores has been unsuccessful in advancing the interests of its...

O-T-C business stuck in the doldrums. (O-T-C Report).(over-the-counter drug sales )
January 6, 2003... CDR Special Report -- Over-the-counter drug sales are in a rut. Not only is this the case in drug chains -- where they have succeeded in becoming a minor adjunct to the prescription drug business -- but in supermarkets -- where, reports to...

Calculating the Wal-Mart factor in H&BAs. (O-T-C Report).
January 6, 2003... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s unwillingness to share its sales figures with the major data-capturing houses has put something of a damper on theft efforts to allocate sales and market share figures among the mass market trade...

Software maximizes pharmacy reimbursement.
January 6, 2003... Online, Real-Time Pre-/Post Adjudication Editing Prescription Pricing Controls Centralized Management and Reporting Capabilities Managed-care prescriptions now compose the overwhelming majority of most pharmacies' revenue. As a result,...

Claritin switch produces broad repercussions. (O-T-C Report).(Claritin moves to an over-the-counter medication)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- When a drug moves from prescription to over-the-counter status the transition often has a major impact on the latter segment. But last month's decision to make Schering-Plough Corp.'s Claritin available as a nonprescription product...

Prilosec will be the next blockbuster. (O-T-C Report).(Prilosec to be released over-the-counter)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- It isn't even expected to reach store shelves until the fall, but the anticipated switch of AstraZeneca's Prilosec to over-the-counter status is already fueling excitement among operators of chain drug stores and retail outlets that...

Suppliers develop other avenues of growth. (O-T-C Report).
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- A handful of new over-the-counter remedies that offer novel delivery forms or previously unheard-of drug combinations are helping move the market for nonprescription medications forward, according to those in the industry. ...

Leveraging Rx-to-O-T-C conversions. (O-T-C Report).(prescription-to-over-the-counter drug switches )
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Retailers and manufacturers alike gained some critical insights on how to profit from prescription-to-over-the-counter drug switches at last summer's National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace Conference. At the forum Ed...

Panasonic unveils rechargeables. (Batteries News).(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Panasonic Battery Group has launched a series of rechargeable batteries to address the high-energy demands of daily-use electronic devices. The line includes the first AA-size 1950 mAh nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery to hit the United...

Energizer targets digital cameras. (Batteries News).(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Energizer now offers two power solutions for digital cameras. The Energizer [e.sup.2] AA lithium battery is said to last five times longer than ordinary alkaline batteries m digital cameras. Besides long life, the battery provides excellent...

'Next generation' from Rayovac. (Batteries News).(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... Rayovac Corp. has unveiled a "next generation" alkaline battery called Maximum Plus. The new product incorporates the latest advances in battery chemistry and internal cell construction, with performance improvements of up to 11% over the...

Cooperative efforts get results. (Batteries).
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Recent partnering efforts by chain drug retailers and suppliers to boost sales in the struggling battery category seem to be paying off. According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), dollar sales were down 3.4% in the category...

Batteries power what's vital to consumers.
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- The leading battery manufacturers are stepping up the level of promotional activity in the category. For example, Panasonic recently launched a broad advertising initiative to make the brand reflect the core ideas behind the...

Category still underdeveloped. (Home Entertainment).
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- The potential of the prerecorded video/blank media category too often draws a blank from chain drug retailers, who are missing out not only on healthy sales but on opportunities to draw new shoppers to their stores. Knowing...

New video releases good fit for chains.
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Chain drug retailers make certain to stock videos that have special appeal to their core customers. Releases are planned for the first quarter 2003 that are likely to he of particular interest to these customers. On January...

Recordable CDs in vogue.(CD-Recordable compact disc sales)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- CD-Recordable compact discs (CD-Rs) are an emerging, rapidly growing field within the larger compact disc (CD) industry, with complex, still evolving technology. According to Information Resources Inc., sales of CDR discs rose...

Universal licensing deal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG) has announced its first toy licensing agreements for the Universal/Dreamworks/Imagine Entertainment presentation of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, a live-action version...

Eckerd expands plan.(senior rewards program)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2003... LARGO, Fla. -- Eckerd Corp. last month expanded its Senior Rewards card program to all of its 422 locations in Texas. The program, Which gives eligible people over age 55 a 10% credit on prescriptions paid for in cash, was rolled out in...

Storch succeeds Parrish as president of MSI.(Medicine Shoppe International Inc. promotes Robert Storch)
January 20, 2003... DUBLIN, Ohio -- Cardinal Health Inc. has promoted Medicine Shoppe International Inc. (MSI) vice president of pharmacy services Robert Storch to president of the chain of franchised pharmacies. He succeeds Mark Parrish, who has been named...

Delaware Medicaid fight ends in compromise.
January 20, 2003... WILMINGTON, Del. -- Happy Harry's Inc., Rite Aid Corp. and Delaware officials have reached a compromise over reimbursement policies under the state's Medicaid program, enabling more than 66,000 Delaware residents to continue to obtain pharmacy...

Whitman takes stock after 25 years at NACDS.(Jim Whitman, senior vice president at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Interview)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK--The 25 years Jim Whitman has spent with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores have been momentous ones for both the organization and the industry it represents. Throughout that period Whitman, who is now senior vice president...

Bush Medicare plan has major implications for Rx.
January 20, 2003... WASHINGTON -- White House efforts to overhaul Medicare through private competition -- adding a prescription drug benefit in the process -- have gained momentum with the ascension of Dr. Bill Frist to Senate majority leader. But the Bush...

Mass. tax on scripts takes effect.
January 20, 2003... BOSTON -- A tax on prescriptions not covered under government health care plans went into effect in Massachusetts at the start of the year. State officials say the $1.30 per prescription levy, described by Massachusetts lawmakers as a...

Goldstein aims to take Hy & Zel's private.(Zelick Goldstein)
January 20, 2003... TORONTO -- Hy & Zel's Inc. has received a proposal from Zelick Goldstein (the "Zel" in the food/drug combination store chain's name and its chief executive officer) to take the company private. Goldstein's offer indicates that he, or a...

Rite Aid putting an old issue to rest.(financial statements falsified and employees wrongfully allowed to purchase stock)
January 20, 2003... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp., its insurers and the company that administers its retirement plan have agreed to pay nearly $11 million to settle charges that the drug chain wrongly allowed employees to continue buying Rite Aid stock while...

Wal-Mart, Giant Eagle ink deals with McKesson.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- McKesson Corp. has extended its pharmaceutical distribution agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. A McKesson spokesman says the two-year extension means the company will...

Employees win suit against Wal-Mart.(unpaid overtime)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... PORTLAND, Ore. -- A federal jury here last month found WalMart Stores Inc. guilty of forcing more than 400 employees in 18 stores to work unpaid overtime. The decision, which covered current and former employees, found that over a...

Safeway tabs Hasker Sr. VP.(Rojon Hasker named senior vice president of marketing and merchandising)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. has named Rojon Hasker senior vice president of marketing and merchandising. "Rojon is a seasoned veteran with more than 30 years experience in the supermarket industry," notes chairman, president and...

Rite aid turnaround continues to gain momentum. (Business).(Rite Aid's sales and earnings)(chain drugstore stock prices)
January 20, 2003... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp.'s turnaround continued to gather steam, as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, LIFO charges, gains from asset disposals and nonoperating charges (EBITDA) soared and bottom-line losses...

Accounting change lifts net earnings at Longs. (Business).(Longs Drug Stores )
January 20, 2003... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Aided by an accounting change regarding goodwill amortization as well as improved pharmacy business, Longs Drug Stores booked a 17.3% bottom-line increase during the third quarter of fiscal 2003. Factoring out the impact...

Pathmark gets back into black in third quarter.
January 20, 2003... CARTARET, N.J. -- Despite a weaker performance by several key measures, a change in accounting rules helped Pathmark Stores Inc. reverse a loss and edge into the black during the third quarter of fiscal 2002. Net income for the 13 weeks...

Walgreens' history over the past 25 years in microcosm. (My Turn).
January 20, 2003... In the autumn of the year 1978 Bob Schmitt, Walgreens' president and chief operating officer, died suddenly at age 54. At his death Walgreens had just recorded the most successful year in its 75-year history -- posting a 57% earnings increase,...

There's good news and bad in beauty care. (Beauty Aids Report).(health and beauty aid sales)
January 20, 2003... CDR Special Report -- In beauty care as in health care, with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. removed from the mix, the category's performance last year was unexciting at best, inadequate at worst. In 2002, according to Information Resources Inc....

Retailers, suppliers push the envelope.(chain drug retailers focusing on beauty care)
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK -- In the midst of the strongest competition in memory in the beauty care category many chain drug retailers are making a stand and taking their merchandising efforts to a new level. Offering convenience, trained cosmeticians and a...

Eye makeup. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... EYE MAKEUP sales are growing at a good clip. During the past 12 months mass market dollar volume in the category was up 4.2%, with drug store sales rising a healthy 5.3%. Technological advances, a host of new colors and a variety of kits...

Face makeup. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... FACE MAKEUP sales were up 1.1% overall during the past 12 months and rose 1.9% in the drug channel. Drug stores accounted for the majority of volume with $454.9 million of the segment's $789.7 million in mass market sales. Procter &...

Lip makeup. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... LIP MAKEUP sales surged in 2002, with dollar volume in drug stores registering a double-digit gain of 10.6%. A plethora of colors and technologies launched in the past year by major suppliers were the catalyst for the strong performance....

Deodarant. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... DEODORANT volume was depressed during the past 12 months, off 1.9% across the three mass market trade classes. The lone bright spot was drug stores, which registered a 3.6% increase in dollar sales in the category. A number of...

Facial cleansers. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... FACIAL CLEANSERS have been posting solid gains in drug stores, with dollar sales up 4.6% in 2002. Chain drug stores have been performing better than other mass market retailers, which many credit to the channel's strong positioning as a...

Fragrance. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... FRAGRANCE sales were down only slightly in 2002 after a number of years of dismal results. Dollar volume was off just 1% in the drug channel in the past year, giving retailers reason for optimism. For most of the past decade many mass...

Hair coloring. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... HAIR COLORING sales continue to grow, particularly in the drug channel. While dollar volume advanced 2.2% across the three mass market trade classes over the past 12 months, sales vaulted 5.9% in drug stores. The category leader remains...

Hair conditioners. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... HAIR CONDITIONERS are performing well in drug stores. Over the past year dollar sales rose 4.3% to $261.7 million in the trade channel. Procter & Gamble Co.'s Clairol Herbal Essences continues to lead the category with a 6.4% market share. ...

Hair spray. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... HAIR SPRAY sales remain slightly depressed across the mass market, with dollar volume down 2.4% over the past 12 months. Drug stores, however, have done considerably better than other retailers in the category, with ales up 2.8%. Many chain...

Hairstyling/setting gels. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... HAIRSTYLING/SETTING GELS have performed extremely well over the past year. Sales in the category grew 6.4% at mass market retailers in 2002, while the drug channel exceeded those numbers, up 11.1%. This impressive jump in sales comes on the...

Hand and body creams and lotions. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... HAND and BODY CREAMS and LOTIONS have traditionally done well in drug stores, and the past year was no exception. While dollar sales were flat across the overall mass market, volume in drug stores rose 4.4%. There has always been a strong...

Disposable razors. (Beauty Aids Report).
January 20, 2003... DISPOSABLE RAZORS registered a 1.2% drop in total mass market dollar sales in the past year. However, drug stores bucked that trend, generating a 2.3% increase. The movement in the category was upward to premium products with value-added...

Razor refills. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... RAZOR REFILLS generated a 2.7% increase in dollar sales during 2002, fueled by a number of factors. Unit sales, on the other hand, remained virtually flat. One factor contributing to that disparity was the presence of more premium items....

Shampoo. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share data)
January 20, 2003... SHAMPOO remains the mainstay of the hair care category. Dollar sales in the segment rose 5.6% in drug stores in 2002, and suppliers are confident that 2003 will bring even better results. The shampoo business is dominated by two major...

Suntan lotion and oil. (Beauty Aids Report).(sales and market share)
January 20, 2003... SUNTAN LOTION and OIL sales were up 5.5% in drug stores last year, surpassing the 2.3% gain registered in the mass market as a whole. Growth in the category is being driven by concerns about the damaging effects on the skin caused by the...

Boomers seek means to look, feel young. (Personal Care Appliances).(baby boomers focusing more on personal care )
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK -- Drug store operators cannot -- nor do they want to-- escape the impact baby boomers are having on their businesses. While the effect aging boomers are having on driving up prescription sales has been well documented, the...

Power-assisted toothbrushes all the rage.
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK -- With prices having come down over the past few years to a level comparable to those of some manual toothbrushes, power-assisted brushes have become what many see as the best-selling personal care appliances in chain drug stores. ...

Electronic product code the new frontier. (Technology).
January 20, 2003... NEW YORK -- Retailers and suppliers who gathered in Cincinnati last month say they saw the future -- and it works wonders. Executives from top chains and leading packaged goods companies convened in December in the Queen City for a...

'It's time for a little more action'. (Technology).(new UHF and HF EPC compliant cheap tags and agile readers)(Brief Article)
January 20, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Representatives of more than 83 companies, including eight new sponsors, gathered to attend the Auto-ID Center's board meeting last year. They witnessed the first live demonstrations of the new UHF and HF EPC...

'Silent commerce' improves asset use, efficiency. (Technology).(Associated Food Stores uses silent commmerce)
January 20, 2003... SALT LAKE CITY -- Associated Food Stores (AFS) is one company that has made major use of silent commerce, reports consulting firm Accenture. Based here, AFS is a major wholesale distributor of groceries cooperatively owned by member...