Drug Store News articles from January 2006

Drug Store News archives from January 2006

Inside the Albertsons deal: Osco/Sav-on is the real 'jewel' of the deal for CVS.(CVS Corp. acquires Osco Drug Div. and Sav-on drugstores from Albertson's Inc.)
January 25, 2006... WOONSOCKET, R.I.--It's like deja vu all over again--again. Well, almost. Because when CVS announced Monday morning that it had agreed to purchase 700 standalone Sav-on and Osco drug stores from Albertsons for $2.9 billion--part of the...

Supervalu becomes force in food, Rx.
January 25, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS -- With the acquisition of some 1,126 supermarkets under the Albertsons, Acme Markets, Bristol Farms, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's and Star Markets banners for about $6.3 billion in cash and company stock, Supervalu will become the No. 1...

Consortium nabs 655 stores.(a group led by Cerberus Capital Management L.P. acquires Albertson's Inc.'s stores; and also Cub Foods Stores )(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... NEW YORK -- Another component of the three-pronged Albertsons sale is the acquisition by the Cerberus Capital Management L.P.-led investment group of 655 Albertsons stores and some distribution centers. The group led by hedge fund...

Brooks-Eckerd promotes Morocco, shuffles marketing team.(Jean Coutu Group Inc. appoints David Morocco, Jim O'Neill and promotes Enzo Cerra and Robert Pouliot)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- The Jean Coutu Group announced last week a string of changes to its senior marketing team, including the appointment of David Morocco as executive vice president of strategic and business initiatives. Morocco, former...

NACDS evolves CMMR site.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores launches Center for Advocacy and Public Affairs and web site)(Coalition for Meaningful Medicaid Reform)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Tuesday launched the Center for Advocacy and Public Affairs, an offshoot of the main NACDS Web site, designed to provide a comprehensive resource on the organization's...

Panel votes for OTC orlistat.(Food and Drug Administration comments on over-the-counter version of orlistat)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... BETHESDA, Md. -- GlaxoSmithKline took one step closer Tuesday to bringing to market what will be the only over-the-counter medicine carrying a weight-loss indication. Two Food and Drug Administration advisory panels voiced their confidence in...

Wal-Mart adds VP post.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ppoints Julie Roehm, vice president)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... NEW YORK -- Julie Roehm, director of marketing communications at Chrysler Group since 2001, is leaving the automaker to become senior vice president of marketing communications for the Wal-Mart Stores U.S.A. division, a newly created...

Katz adds e-photo service.(Katz Group Canada adapts PhotoChannel Networks Inc.'s Digital Media Platform to offer online photo service)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Katz Group Canada announced last week that it has signed a contract under which Katz will use PhotoChannel's PNI Digital Media Platform to deliver Rexall Photo Centre, a full-featured online photo service for...

Quincy, Mass.--Stop & Shop and Giant Food on Monday completed the sale of Giant's distribution and office facility in Landover, Md., and Stop & Shop's distribution facility in North Haven, Conn., for a total sale price of $89.95 million.(Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut)(Stop and Shop Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... QUINCY, Mass. -- Stop & Shop and Giant Food on Monday completed the sale of Giant's distribution and office facility in Landover, Md., and Stop & Shop's distribution facility in North Haven, Conn., for a total sale price of $89.95 million....

New York--Target Corp. on Monday raised its January same-store sales guidance to 4.5 percent to 5 percent based on sales for the three weeks ended Saturday.(FINANCIALS)
January 25, 2006... NEW YORK -- Target Corp. on Monday raised its January same-store sales guidance to 4.5 percent to 5 percent based on sales for the three weeks ended Saturday. Target's previous guidance was for a same-store sales increase of 3 percent to 5...

Washington--Food Lion on Thursday announced it will remodel its 60 Washington, D.C.-area stores by the end of the year.(marketing plans)(Brief Article)
January 25, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Food Lion on Thursday announced it will remodel its 60 Washington, D.C.-area stores by the end of the year. Through the remodeling program, the company will introduce two new store banners--Bloom and Bottom Dollar--to the...

Baltimore--The Maryland legislature on Thursday passed a law requiring Wal-Mart to increase spending on employee health insurance.(NEWSBITES)
January 18, 2006... BALTIMORE -- The Maryland legislature on Thursday passed a law requiring Wal-Mart to increase spending on employee health insurance. Under the new law, employers with at least 10,000 employees in the state must spend a minimum of 8 percent of...

Minneapolis--Super-Valu on Jan. 11 opened its first Sunflower Market store, a value-priced natural and organic foods retail outlet.(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS -- Super-Valu on Jan. 11 opened its first Sunflower Market store, a value-priced natural and organic foods retail outlet. Located in Indianapolis, the 12,000-square-foot store carries 8,000 to 12,000 SKUs of natural and organic...

Landover, Md.--Giant Food is testing an automated refill prescription pickup kiosk by ScriptCenter in its Reston, Va., store.(NEWSBITES)
January 18, 2006... LANDOVER, Md. -- Giant Food is testing an automated refill prescription pickup kiosk by ScriptCenter in its Reston, Va., store. The kiosk enables customers to pick up prescriptions from the kiosk using a password and payment card without...

Camp Hill, Pa.--Rite Aid on Friday became the exclusive retailer for Nutrition 21's Chromax chromium picolinate supplement.(NEWSBITES)
January 18, 2006... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid on Friday became the exclusive retailer for Nutrition 21's Chromax chromium picolinate supplement. Nutrition 21 is primarily a wholesale ingredients supplier.

Walgreens unveils bold new initiatives at meeting.(Dial-a-Pharmacist)
January 18, 2006... CHICAGO -- Walgreen Co.'s top executives laid out some bold new initiatives for the drug store giant at the company's annual meeting of shareholders here last week, including a foray into solar power and a new multilingual counseling service....

Karlin steps out as EVP as Riedl and Wagner step up.(Jerome Karlin, George Riedl, Mark Wagner appointed at Walgreen Co.)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Jerome Karlin, Walgreens' executive vice president of store operations, will retire March 1, ending a 43-year career with the company. Mark Wagner, who currently is a senior vice president of store operations, will replace...

CMS steps in to clear up Medicare drug plan confusion.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services )(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Spurred by criticism from seniors' advocates over the problems experienced by many Medicare enrollees in getting needed medications--and by moves in many states to provide emergency prescription coverage for their poorest...

Albertsons may be back on the block in similar deal.(p)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... BOISE, Idaho -- Three weeks after Albertsons took itself off the sales block, the 2,476-store chain is rumored to be back in sales talks, according to report published on Friday. Albertsons didn't comment on the report, but it could mean...

ShopKo gets new president.(Paul White appointed at ShopKo Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... GREEN BAY, Wis. -- ShopKo Stores has named current chief merchandising officer Paul White as president of the ShopKo division. In last week's announcement, the company said White will assume responsibility for the merchandising,...

Best Buy changes leadership.(Darren Jackson and Mike Marolt appointed at Best Buy Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS -- Best Buy on Jan. 11 restructured its top management, including management for its health concept eq-life, in a move that the company's chief executive officer said will drive performance and increase accountability. Best...

New York--The National Retail Federation expects a slowdown in the economy and consumer spending to result in subdued retail sales growth in 2006, according to a report released Monday.(Brief Article)
January 18, 2006... NEW YORK -- The National Retail Federation expects a slowdown in the economy and consumer spending to result in subdued retail sales growth in 2006, according to a report released Monday. The NRF expects that 2006 retail industry sales (which...

Longueuil, Quebec--The Jean Coutu Group on Tuesday reported December retail sales up 3.2 percent, noting the results were impacted by a milder flu season in eastern North America.(FINANCIALS)
January 18, 2006... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- The Jean Coutu Group on Tuesday reported December retail sales up 3.2 percent, noting the results were impacted by a milder flu season in eastern North America. The U.S. pharmacy network posted $995.3 million in sales, a...

Woonsocket, R.I.--CVS on Thursday raised its quarterly dividend by 7 percent to 3.875 cents per share.(FINANCIALS)
January 18, 2006... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS on Thursday raised its quarterly dividend by 7 percent to 3.875 cents per share. The higher dividend translates into an annual rate of 15.5 cents per share, up a penny from the previous 14.5 cent dividend.

New York--The market for prescription drugs for kids ought to reach $49 billion by 2009 worldwide, according to a Kalorama Information report released Jan. 10.(FINANCIALS)
January 18, 2006... NEW YORK -- The market for prescription drugs for kids ought to reach $49 billion by 2009 worldwide, according to a Kalorama Information report released Jan. 10. The growth is expected to come primarily out of the allergy/respiratory and...

New York--Former Wal-Mart vice chairman Tom Coughlin has agreed to plead guilty later this month.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... NEW YORK -- Former Wal-Mart vice chairman Tom Coughlin has agreed to plead guilty later this month to federal wire-fraud and tax-evasion charges, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Friday that cites people familiar with the...

Publix Super Markets.(appoints Laurie Zeitlin as chief information officer)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... LAKELAND, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets has named Laurie Zeitlin as its next chief information officer. She will replace Danny Risener, who is retiring after 43 years with the grocery chain. Zeitlin will join Publix on Jan. 30 as senior vice...

Wild Oats Markets.(NEWSBITES)
January 11, 2006... BOULDER, Colo. -- Wild Oats Markets on Monday named Sam Martin senior vice president of operations, effective immediately. Martin was most recently senior vice president of supply chain and corporate vice president of logistics for ShopKo...

Melrose Park, Ill. -- Alberto-Culver announced Tuesday that, as part of a multi-step deal valued at $2.6 billion.(NEWSBITES)
January 11, 2006... MELROSE PARK, Ill. -- Alberto-Culver announced Tuesday that, as part of a multi-step deal valued at $2.6 billion, it will spin off its Sally Beauty business unit and merge it with beauty salon operator Regis Corp.

Flu rate, cold remedy sales spike in New Year.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... NEW YORK -- Illness rates for this year's cough and cold season are beginning to pick up considerably as compared to the year-ago period, suggesting that cold remedy sales will be positive for pharmacy retailers in the New Year. For the...

Legault sees room for improvement at Brooks-Eckerd.
January 11, 2006... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- For Brooks Pharmacy, the Eckerd integration has undoubtedly been a bumpy ride due in large part to snarls in the supply chain but company executives remain optimistic that the road ahead will prove smoother. "There...

CHD Meridian opens on-site health centers at Lowe's.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... CHADDS FORD, Pa. -- CHD Meridian Healthcare, an I-trax company, has opened two employer-sponsored, on-site health centers for Lowe's Cos., I-trax announced Tuesday. Lowe's, the second largest home improvement retailer, now has health...

Meijer fills Zigerelli's void with Mich. university president.(Larry Zigerelli )(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Meijer announced on Jan. 4 the selection of Mark Murray, president of Grand Valley State University, as its future president. Murray fills the slot left vacant after the departure of Larry Zigerelli on Nov. 30. ...

New guidelines dog OTCs.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- The American College of Chest Physicians on Monday released new guidelines discouraging consumers from using OTC cough remedies to treat a cough. The guidelines stress that most OTC cough expectorants or suppressants,...

Rite Aid names VP for PBM.(Paul Allen appointed as pharmacy benefit manager)(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid on Nov. 4 named Paul Allen vice president of sales for the chain's newly established pharmacy benefit manager, Rite Aid Health Solutions. Allen, who joins Rite Aid from Express Scripts, will report to Greg...

Pfizer ships Viagra with RFID.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... NEW YORK -- Pfizer on Friday announced it began shipping its first product--Viagra--containing radio frequency identification tags to its customers in the United States, making Pfizer the first pharmaceutical company to put in place a...

Atkins emerges from Ch. 11.(Brief Article)
January 11, 2006... NEW YORK -- After filing for bankruptcy five months ago, Atkins Nutritionals on Tuesday emerged from Chapter 11 and is rolling out a new business strategy. The company noted its new focus is on providing great-tasting portable foods...

New York--last week, retailers reported December sales results.(FINANCIALS)
January 11, 2006... NEW YORK -- Last week, retailers reported December sales results. Results reflect a five-week period. Chains reporting included--

Walgreens.(FINANCIALS)
January 11, 2006... Walgreens reported sales of $4.48 billion, an increase of 10.3 percent from the prior-year period. Same-store sales rose 6.2 percent. Monthly pharmacy sales increased 10.4 percent, and comparable pharmacy sales increased 7 percent. Comparable...

CVS.(FINANCIALS)
January 11, 2006... CVS reported sales of $4 billion, up 9.8 percent from the prior-year period. Same-store sales increased 7.3 percent. Pharmacy same-store sales increased 7.3 percent, despite being negatively impacted by approximately 200 basis points due to...

Rite Aid.(FINANCIALS)
January 11, 2006... Rite Aid reported sales of $1.8 billion, up 26.2 percent versus last year. Same-store sales were up 3.9 percent. Pharmacy same-store sales increased 4.5 percent, and front-end same store sales increased 3 percent.

Longs Drug Stores.(FINANCIALS)
January 11, 2006... Longs Drug Stores reported total sales of $527.1 million, up 2.8 percent from the year-ago period. Same-store sales increased 2.4 percent. Pharmacy same-store sales increased 6.5 percent and front-end same-store sales decreased 0.4 percent.

Bloomfield, Conn.--CIGNA announced yesterday that it added MinuteClinic to its network of providers, effective Feb. 1.(NEWSBITES)
January 4, 2006... BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- CIGNA announced yesterday that it added MinuteClinic to its network of providers, effective Feb. 1. MinuteClinic health care centers are located in select Target, CVS, Bartell Drugs and Cub Foods stores. MinuteClinic...

Walnut Creek, Calif.--Longs Drug Stores Corp. has partnered with PacifiCare Health Systems to co-market Prescription Solutions from PacifiCare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and collaborate on in-store information and education.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Longs Drug Stores Corp. has partnered with PacifiCare Health Systems to co-market Prescription Solutions from PacifiCare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and collaborate on in-store information and education....

Washington--the Consumer Healthcare Products Association last week nominated George Goldstein as the industry representative to the Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee.(NEWSBITES)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The Consumer Healthcare Products Association last week nominated George Goldstein as the industry representative to the Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee. Goldstein's career includes 14...

Denver--Western Union Financial Services is set to provide money-transfer services at Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy stores starting this year.(NEWSBITES)
January 4, 2006... DENVER -- Western Union Financial Services is set to provide money-transfer services at Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy stores starting this year. Brooks expects to implement the services in up to 1,850 stores throughout the course of the year.

Medicare Part D drug benefit gets off to a rocky start.
January 4, 2006... NEW YORK -- The Medicare Part D drug benefit program got off to a rocky start this week, as snags in the government's claims processing system slowed the system to a crawl and kept some seniors from quickly getting their prescriptions filled....

Walgreens roars ahead, sets new record for 1Q results.(first quarter)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreen Co. maintained its winning ways in the first quarter of fiscal 2006, with record earnings of $345.6 million. The earnings marked a 5.2 percent gain over the same period last year, despite a pretax charge of $36.2...

Retailers named in PSE suit.
January 4, 2006... OKLAHOMA, Okla. -- The widow of a murdered Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper has brought a wrongful death suit against several retailers, including Walgreens and Wal-Mart, concerning pseudoephedrine sales policies. According to reports,...

Accutane registry debuts.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... WASHINGTON -- A national registry on Friday began accepting names of Americans who take the anti-acne drug Accutane, part of a federal effort to limit use of the birth-defect-causing drug by pregnant women. Doctors, wholesalers and...

ShopKo merger finalized.(with Sun Capital Partners)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... GREEN BAY, Wis. -- ShopKo Stores last Wednesday completed its sale to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, a deal valued at $877 million. ShopKo shareholders had approved the sale of the chain Dec. 23. ShopKo indicated it would...

Albertsons sale canceled.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... NEW YORK -- Albertsons reported Dec. 22 that it has taken itself off the block, terminating all discussions regarding the potential sale of the entire company. But the company noted it was still in talks with "several parties" that might buy...

Suit challenges Plan B law.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The American Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit the week before Christmas that challenges the Illinois rule mandating all pharmacies in the state dispense the morning-after pill without delay. The group...

Wild Oats touts 'superfoods'.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... BOULDER, Colo. -- In time for New Year's resolutions that often call for dieting, Wild Oats on Monday announced it is rolling out a nutritional information plan based on superfoods. Superfoods, sometimes called functional foods, contain a...

Bentonville, Ark.--Wal-Mart is expected Thursday to report its weakest December sales growth in five years.(FINANCIALS)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart is expected Thursday to report its weakest December sales growth in five years. The retailer announced Saturday that December same-store sales rose 2.2 percent, a figure at the low end of the company's forecast...

Minneapolis--Target Corp. reaffirmed its December sales forecast on Dec. 28, indicating it expects same-store sales to grow 4 percent to 5 percent for the month.(FINANCIALS)
January 4, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. reaffirmed its December sales forecast on Dec. 28, indicating it expects same-store sales to grow 4 percent to 5 percent for the month. Target will release December results Thursday.

Indianapolis--Marsh Supermarkets, which recently put itself up for sale, took steps Tuesday to reduce the amount of money payable to executives by $28 million in the event of a change in control, including terminating supplemental executive retirement plans.(Brief Article)
January 4, 2006... INDIANAPOLIS -- Marsh Supermarkets, which recently put itself up for sale, took steps Tuesday to reduce the amount of money payable to executives by $28 million in the event of a change in control, including terminating supplemental executive...

San Francisco--Visa reported Tuesday that it processed a record 179 million transactions on Dec. 23., surpassing last year's peak processing day by 22 percent.(FINANCIALS)
January 4, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Visa reported Tuesday that it processed a record 179 million transactions on Dec. 23., surpassing last year's peak processing day by 22 percent. Visa noted on a normal day it processes roughly 100 million debit and credit...