Chain Drug Review articles from January 2009

Chain Drug Review archives from January 2009

CDR names CVS' Merlo Retailer of the Year.(Retailer of the Year)(Larry Merlo president of CVS Pharmacy Inc. honored)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- The editors of Chain Drug Review have named Larry Merlo, president of the CVS drug store chain, the publication's 2008 Chain Drug Retailer of the Year. In a year during which CVS dominated chain drug retailing in...

CVS' Leonard wins first Rx exec award.(Pharmacy Executive of the Year)(Matt Leonard of CVS Caremark Corp. honored)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Appreciating the critical role pharmacy plays in the health care and chain drug communities, the editors of Chain Drug Review have decided to annually recognize the accomplishments of the retail...

Bloom of CVS is top merchant.(Merchant of the Year)(Mike Bloom of CVS Caremark Corp. honored)(Occupation overview)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Merchandising innovations have been a hallmark of CVS Caremark Corp. Most recently the company's Beauty 360 boutique has raised chain drug store beauty retailing in the United States to new heights. Earlier pioneering...

Bryant honored for life's work.(Lifetime Achievement Award)(Warren Bryant chief executive officer at Longs Drug Stores honored)(Occupation overview)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- These are heady days for Warren Bryant, until last fall chairman, president and chief executive officer of Longs Drug Stores. In 2008 he led his company to the very first ranks of chain...

Drugstore.com's Lonczak wins marketing award.(Marketer of the Year)(Company overview)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drugstore.com has changed from a survivor to a striver. With doubts about its ability to endure erased, the past three years have brought a focus on long-term growth and prosperity. All areas of the company...

More than the economy hurt holiday sales.(News)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Hurt more by the severe weather and a sharply curtailed holiday shopping season--27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas versus 32 days in 2007--chain drug retailers suffered through the most dismal holiday selling season in...

Three join Walgreens exec team.(News)(Jeffrey Zavada, Colin Watts and Bryan Pugh appointed)
January 5, 2009... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has appointed three new members to its senior management team. Bryan Pugh joins the retailer as vice president of retail format, focusing on affordable and essential merchandise, including food items, paper...

Beahm gets added duties at Wal-Mart.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has revamped part of its health and wellness division to align all merchandising responsibilities--including pharmacy, over-the-counter and optical--under the direction of Paul Beahm, senior vice...

Walgreens trims sails.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. says it will cut back its new store openings even more, after the company turned in a less-than-stellar performance in the first quarter. Organic store openings will be trimmed to a rate of between 4% and...

Retailers brace for additional economic turmoil.(News)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Signs of a prolonged recession, including continuing declines in consumer spending, foretell retailing woes well into this year. With shoppers tightening their purse strings amid deep job cuts and falling home prices,...

NACDS gears up for conference.(News)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference)(Conference notes)
January 5, 2009... CHANDLER, Ariz. -- An unparalleled opportunity for relationship building and knowledge sharing can be found at next month's National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference, says event chairman and Kopp Drug chief operating...

Pharmacies lose ground in fight over tobacco.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp. and Walgreen Co. in regulation for selling tobacco products)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... BOSTON -- Pharmacies in Massachusetts can no longer sell cigarettes under recently passed regulations that are believed to be the strictest in the country. The city's public health commission also barred the sale of cigarettes on college...

Duane Reade bolsters brand.(News)
January 5, 2009... ORLANDO, Fla. -- Updated stores and enhanced merchandising are bolstering Duane Reade Inc.'s brand equity, senior vice president and chief financial officer John Henry said at a recent investment conference. Ongoing renovations, which will...

Scorpiniti joins Duane Reade.(News)(Frank Scorpiniti appointed as senior vice president)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Duane Reade Inc. has designated Frank Scorpiniti as senior vice president of pharmacy operations. The 38-year-old Scorpiniti reports to chairman and chief executive officer John Lederer. "We are pleased to have Frank join...

Daschle gets warm welcome.(News)(Tom Daschle appointed as secretary at Health and Human Services)
January 5, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Industry associations say they are optimistic that President-elect Barack Obama's choice of former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary will bring meaningful change to the nation's health...

Colon cancer program at Kinney is recognized.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The efforts by Kinney Drugs to encourage colorectal cancer awareness have won plaudits from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). The agency recently presented the pharmacy retailer with a 2008 Innovative...

FDA chief, other officials set to step down.(News)(Julie Gerberding resigns from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Andrew von Eschenbach resigns from Food and Drug Administration )(John Niederhuber resigns from National Cancer Institute )
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WASHINGTON -- Several of the nation's top health care regulators say they will step down after President-elect Barack Obama takes office later this month. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von...

Report tracks clinic usage.(News)(Report)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Families with unmet medical needs are more likely to turn to in-store health clinics than the rest of the population, according to a report conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). One-third of those...

GAO offers ways to improve Part D enrollment process.(News)
January 5, 2009... WASHING -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should revise its annual election period (AEP) for Part D beneficiaries by reviewing alternative formats in which senior citizens...

IRS delays debit card rule for Rx.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service is delaying for six months health care debit card guidance that would have added community pharmacies to a list of merchants required to have an IRS-approved inventory system in place so that retailers...

Report spurs debate about Rx funding in Canada.(News)
January 5, 2009... TORONTO -- Canadian pharmacists are wrestling with a timing mismatch. Provincial governments are moving to authorize pharmacists to expand the scope of their practices in dealing with patients, but the administrations of public and private drug...

Where the provinces stand on what pharmacists can do.(News)
January 5, 2009... TORONTO -- When it comes to tapping the full potential of retail pharmacy, most Canadian provinces are far ahead of their counterparts in the United States. A look at the current status of rules governing the practice of the profession in each...

CACDS takes initiative on payment anomalies.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... TORONTO -- Reducing or removing discounts and allowances to pharmacies from generic drug makers does not mean that pharmacy costs in Canada will be reduced, notes Nadine Saby, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Association of...

Nation ranks near top in per capita spending.(News)(Survey)(Statistical data)
January 5, 2009... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] OTTAWA -- Canada's health care spending, at $3,678 (all dollar figures are in U.S. currency) per person, puts it in fifth place in comparison with the other 25 countries that have comparable accounting systems. The...

Canada eyes health care tab.(News)(Statistical data)
January 5, 2009... OTTAWA -- Health care spending in Canada in 2008 will account for 10.7% of the gross national product, the highest share ever recorded, figures recently released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reveal. A federal...

Rx schools gear up to meet demand.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... OTTAWA -- Currently 11 schools of pharmacy in Canada offer a Bachelor of Science degree, according to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The new pharmacy school at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, opened its...

Pharmacy workforce growing at a rapid pace.(News)(Survey)
January 5, 2009... OTTAWA -- The Canadian pharmacy profession is growing at a rapid rate and women are occupying a larger and larger share of pharmacy jobs, according to a recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) on the makeup of...

Chain drug execs look ahead.(Retail Forecast '09)
January 5, 2009... The economy is the overriding concern of chain drug retailers as they contemplate 2009. Executives are hoping for the best, knowing that drug chains have a reputation for being recession-resistant as convenient sellers of necessities. But none...

CVS, master at assimilation, brings Longs into fold.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Longs Drug Stores Corp.)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. closed its acquisition of Longs Drug Stores last fall and is on its way to incorporating the new units into its nationwide network of stores. The $2.7 billion acquisition of Longs 526 stores in...

Record results reflect strength of operation.(News)(revenue report)(Financial report)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- While the addition of the Caremark operation to the CVS drug chain has seen the combined company's financial results soar in the past few quarters, its store network continues to anchor the business. In the recently...

Drug stores, PBM benefit from new synergies.(News)(pharmacy benefits manager )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Employees, shareholders and, most importantly, customers continue to benefit from the assimilation of Caremark into what is known today as CVS Caremark Corp. The 2007 merger of the drug chain and the pharmacy benefits...

Winning formula spurs growth.(News)(CVS Corp.'s acquisition with Eckerd Corp. )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... As CVS continues to set the standard for America's chain drug stores, the company has found a winning formula as a convenient outlet for a wide variety of health and beauty aids, general merchandise and prescription drugs. Over the past few...

Loyalty card a consumer hit.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- ExtraCare is the largest consumer rewards program in the nation, according to a CVS Caremark Corp. spokesman, with more than 55 million cardholders. Cardholders receive 2% of all purchases back quarterly, delivered in...

Productivity raised by building synergies.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Scrutiny of CVS Caremark Corp.'s data shows that creating synergies between certain categories can help customers shop more of the store and reduce their cross-channel purchases, divisional merchandise manager for beauty...

'ExtraCare filter' makes merchandising efforts sharper.(News)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Every element of CVS' merchandising is conceived "through an ExtraCare filter," says senior vice president of merchandising Mike Bloom. The ExtraCare loyalty program is "one of our clear go-to-market strategies for the...

New format ups ante in beauty.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Beauty 360)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Beauty 360, CVS Caremark Corp.'s service-oriented luxury beauty boutique, debuted in mid-autumn off Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The 2,100-square-foot format features a white decor with...

CVS makes most of holiday season.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. drove holiday sales last month by offering last-minute gifts and essentials like wrapping paper and holiday decorations. From electronics and popular toys to beauty and fragrance gifts, the chain provided...

Photo offerings stay on the cutting edge.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. in the fall enhanced its picture kiosks and online photo center (www.cvsphotocenter.com) as part of an ongoing commitment to providing customers with the best possible retail photo experience. ...

Shoppers get some needed help.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Black Friday started early at CVS Caremark Corp. when the chain unveiled a weeklong holiday promotion offering a wide variety of doorbuster deals on gifts, affordable electronics, seasonal decor items and daily essentials....

Proactive Rx Care in action.(News)(flu vaccines )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Tapping its capabilities as a company amalgamating retailing and pharmacy benefits management, CVS Caremark has completed a yearlong study suggesting that flu vaccines can help reduce the risk of hospitalizations in patients...

Commitment to health of seniors is reinforced.(News)(extension of partnership between CVS Caremark and National Council on Aging )
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in 2008 announced a three-year extension of their partnership to improve the health and well-being of older Americans. Their joint "Prescription for Better Health"...

CVS Caremark facilitates the use of HSAs, FSAs.(News)(health savings accounts )(flexible spending accounts )
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- According to a 2008 study, more than 6.1 million Americans can establish health savings accounts (HSAs) under their insurance plans, up 35% from 2007. Consumers are increasingly turning to health savings and flexible...

E-scripts get solid support.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp. )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. is among the retailers that participated in a nationwide campaign designed to educate patients and physicians about the benefits of electronic prescribing. All CVS locations have been enabled to accept...

MTM program receives recognition from URAC.(News)(Utilization Review Accreditation Commission)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark's Drug Therapy Management program has been selected by URAC, a leading independent accrediting organization, as a finalist in its Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment...

Pharmacists keep eye on safety.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Pharmacists have become an important resource for parents seeking alternatives to pediatric over-the-counter cough/cold products that manufacturers have removed from the market or are relabeling, according to CVS Caremark...

For Nancy Bryant, a peripatetic life has its rewards.(News)
January 5, 2009... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Nancy Gino was 16 years old in 1964, the year she met Warren Bryant. She first saw him at the Market Basket supermarket on Western and Franklin in Hollywood, where Warren worked as a box boy. Nancy stopped at the...

'You really don't want to say no to customers'.(News)(Warren Bryant opinion about customer relations)
January 5, 2009... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Some of Warren Bryant's best retailing lessons over his career involved what not to do. In his very first job, as a high school box boy at Market Basket in southern California, he observed customers returning milk...

A force for the common good.(News)(Warren Bryant services at Association of Chain Drug Stores )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- For Warren Bryant 2008 provided a wealth of opportunity to apply his leadership skills. In addition to bringing the process of continuous improvement at Longs to a successful culmination with the sale of the company to CVS...

For drugstore.com, it's all about choice.(News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- "Hard to find" is not in drugstore.com's lexicon. Items that are difficult to come by at brick-and-mortar stores are readily available at the e-tailer, says vice president and chief marketing officer Dave Lonczak. ...

Beauty.com reinvigorated by makeover.(News)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- In the same way that brick-and-mortar chains can take advantage of in-store marketing, online retailers can capitalize on onscreen initiatives. The power of that ability is exemplified by drugstore.com's redesign of...

Reach extends worldwide.(News)(drugstore.com Inc. uses E4X Inc.'s fiftyone global ecommerce program)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drugstore.com launched a new international offering to 34 countries in November with the first order coming from Luxembourg. To expand internationally, drugstore.com entered into a contract to...

Customers get help with HSAs.(News)(drugstore.com partnerd with UMB Healthcare Services)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers are uniquely qualified to provide a convenient solution with eligible products as well as record-keeping services for HSA (health service account) holders, says drugstore.com...

Drugstore.com makes FSA shopping easy.(News)(flexible spending account)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drugstore.com has long supported standards to help FSA (flexible spending account) holders maximize their health savings dollars for prescription and nonprescription items, says vice president and chief marketing officer Dave...

Partnership to expand range of services for Medco members.(News)(drugstore.com Inc. partnerd with Medco Health Solutions Inc.)
January 5, 2009... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drugstore.com's new alliance with Medco Health Solutions Inc. supports its strategy of leveraging its e-commerce health, beauty and wellness platform and extending its leadership in consumer health merchandising, marketing,...

Fougera backs scholarships.(Supplier News)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Fougera, a division of Nycomed US Inc., has presented a $160,000 endowment to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation for the establishment of the Edmond Fougera Scholarship Fund. ...

Big pharmaceutical companies cast eye on biogenerics.(Supplier News)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- The pharmaceutical industry is devoting new attention--and allocating additional investments--into the biogenerics arena. Last month Merck & Co. said it planned to infiltrate the biotechnology/biogenerics business as a way to...

Del set to extend its Sally Hansen line.(Supplier News)(Del Laboratories Inc.)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Coty Inc.'s Del Cosmetics has ambitious plans for its Sally Hansen brand in the new year. Believing that innovation in beauty is what keeps shoppers coming to chain drug beauty aisles, the supplier is launching a plethora of...

Morgan named Emerson partner.(Supplier News)(appointment of Ed Morgan )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WAYNE, Pa. -- Ed Morgan has been appointed a full partner in the Emerson Group, a consumer products equity company. The business is responsible for sales, sales consultation and sales execution for the country's retail consumer products market....

P&G shifting its 'center of gravity,' may sell Rx brands.(Supplier News)(Procter & Gamble Co.)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) may divest some or all of its pharmaceutical brands as it shifts its focus to faster-growing and higher-margin product categories. The company will consider selling its four key pharmaceutical...

Major J&J Body Care launch is under way.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... SKILLMAN, N.J. -- The year 2009 heralds an important step for Johnson & Johnson's (J&J's) line of Johnson's Body Care products. The brand is launching a collection featuring new products, formulas, fragrances and packaging. The target...

MiddleBrook begins marketing Moxatag tablets.(Supplier News)(MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WESTLAKE, Texas -- MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company that is focused on the development and commercialization of anti-infective drug products that fulfill unmet medical needs, is introducing Moxatag tablets (775 mg)....

Alaven supplement has two forms of iron.(Supplier News)(Alaven Pharmaceutical LLC introduced Bifera)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... MARIETTA, Ga. -- Alaven Pharmaceutical LLC has introduced a nutritional supplement that it says provides one of the best sources of iron of any over-the-counter product on the market. Unveiled at the American Dietetic Association meeting in...

Foster Grant, Welch team up.(Supplier News)(FGX International contract with Raquel Welch )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- FGX International has signed Hollywood star Raquel Welch as a spokeswoman for the Foster Grant brand. The 68-year-old Welch, who over the years has appeared in several advertisements in the company's legendary "Who's...

Soft drink makers get O.K. to use stevia sweetener.(Supplier News)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- The Food and Drug Administration has given its approval to a natural zero-calorie sweetener derived from the herb stevia, clearing the way for Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and other companies to debut a variety of new products. ...

IRI summit slated for March.(Supplier News)(Information Resources Inc.)(Conference notes)
January 5, 2009... CHICAGO -- Shopper and market insights designed to drive growth in the current challenging economy will be examined when Information Resources Inc. (IRI) holds a consumer packaged goods (CPG) summit March 23 through March 25 in Las Vegas....

Kimberly-Clark innovates in adult incontinence segment.(Supplier News)
January 5, 2009... DALLAS -- Kimberly-Clark Corp. is introducing Depend gender-specific adult absorbent underwear in March. The male and female designs are tailored to fit the body shapes of men and women with superior fit and protection, to help users suffering...

Kinray thrives on service.(Supplier News)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHITESTONE, N.Y. -- What is it about Kinray Inc. that has allowed it not only to survive but to thrive in a fiercely competitive market? The largest privately held pharmaceutical wholesaler in the world, Kinray's...

Bunky Lines is rolling out Urban Bath.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Bunky Lines Inc. created the Urban Bath value line of bath and beauty products to appeal to the working class and the trend-savvy consumer. "Inspired by industrial style and urban living, Urban Bath's packaging and...

Bonnie Bell gives Lip Smacker web site a refreshed look.(Supplier News)(www.lipsmackerlounge.com)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Bonne Bell Co., marketer of the Lip Smacker collection, has launched a new look for its teen-focused web site for the cosmetics brand. Key to the initiative is the incorporation of www.lipsmackerlounge.com, a teen...

Faith Hill inks deal with Coty.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer Faith Hill has been signed by Coty Inc. to develop and market her own fragrance. The yet-to-be named scent will capture Hill's natural beauty, warmth and strength, according to a Coty...

Impairment charges take toll on Rite Aid bottom line.(Business)(Financial report)
January 5, 2009... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. booked its sixth consecutive quarterly loss during its fiscal 2009 third quarter, as lower sales and higher impairment charges arising from store closings more than offset reduced integration expenses and a...

Assimilation of Brooks Eckerd stores complete.(Business)(acquisation by Rite Aid Corp.)
January 5, 2009... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- During Rite Aid Corp.'s third quarter conference call with analysts, chairman and chief executive officer Mary Summons noted that integration of the acquired Brooks Eckerd stores was finished early in the quarter. That...

Management sees bigger loss for current fiscal year.(Business)(Rite Aid Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Faced with the intensifying economic downturn, weakening sales trends and ballooning expenses, Rite Aid Corp. management once again revised its fiscal 2009 guidance, predicting lower same-store sales and a bigger net loss for...

Strong sales trends continue at Kroger.(Business)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Statistical data)
January 5, 2009... CINCINNATI -- A hurricane-related charge forced third-quarter net earnings down at Kroger Co., but results still edged past Wall Street's expectations. And although management raised Kroger's full-year profit projection, its fourth-quarter...

Ortiz becomes CFO at Navarro.(Business)(Navarro Discount Pharmacies appoints Juan Ortiz )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... MIAMI -- Navarro Discount Pharmacies has named former Atlantic Dental chief executive officer Juan Ortiz as its new chief financial officer. Ortiz joins Navarro after two years at the helm of Atlantic Dental, a company formerly owned by...

Fiscal '08 earnings outlook raised.(Business)(Kroger Co.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... CINCINNATI -- Kroger Co.'s stable sales growth in the face of consumer cautiousness encouraged management to raise its full-year earnings projection for fiscal 2008. But the implied fourth-quarter earnings growth disappointed Wall Street,...

NACDS positioned to 'do some things'.(My Turn)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to rank itself)
January 5, 2009... Shortly after Wal-Mart passed both Sears and Kmart to become America's, and the world's, largest retailer, David Glass, Wal-Mart's legendary chief executive officer, was asked what that milestone meant. "It means," said Glass, "that now we can...

Time is now to quantify pharmacy's impact.(My Turn)
January 5, 2009... In preparation for the coming debate about health care reform, the Congressional Budget Office has issued two studies that highlight the difficulty and complexity of the task at hand. The first of the two reports, Key Issues in Analyzing...

Drug chains fight for fair share of electronics business.(ELECTRONICS)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- For some households, the purchase of video games, DVDs and other consumer electronics items represents an unnecessary expenditure in the current economic climate. But for many shoppers, such market basket items are considered less...

Battery makers not content to rest on laurels.(MERCHANDISING)(Energizer Holdings Inc. introduced zinc air battery)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Energizer Holdings Inc. this month plans to unveil a new zinc air battery at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Energizer's Zinc Air Prismatic battery is being promoted as having the...

How video games can hone skills.(MERCHANDISING)(Survey)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Playing video games may be good for you -particularly if you are in your 60s or 70s. According to a study in this month's Psychology and Aging, older individuals who want to maintain acute cognitive skills might consider such...

Home video market is in flux.(MERCHANDISING)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- New supply chain initiatives in the U.S. home video market are geared toward bolstering profitability in a tight economic climate, according to a report by Futuresource Consulting titled Supply Chain: Home Video Distribution. ...

Chains embrace DVD kiosks.(MERCHANDISING)(Walgreen Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. installed Redbox Automated Retail LLC's digital videodisks)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Kiosks that allow customers to rent DVDs are emerging as a convenience offering in stores operated by Walgreen Co. and other retailers. One of the biggest players in this consumer electronics segment is Redbox Automated Retail...

Electronics, media suppliers to put latest in the spotlight.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... NEW YORK -- Trade shows this month and in February are expected to attract participation from high-profile companies and leading executives throughout the consumer electronics industry. The slowdown in the economy is not anticipated to...