Chain Drug Review back issues from October 2008:
Rite Aid shakes up exec team, names Standley COO.(News)(appointement of John Standley )
Oct 13, 2008 ... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- John Standley has returned to Rite Aid Corp., assuming the roles of president and chief operating officer. The 45-year-old Standley, who for the past several months has served in an advisory capacity to Rite Aid, takes over the presidency from Mary Sammons, who ...
Fed acts to ease credit crunch.(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- The Federal Reserve is creating a special fund to buy commercial paper as the intensifying financial crisis threatens to cut off a key source of short-term debt used by businesses to fund daily operations. The radical move, which constitutes a big step toward the Fed ...
Walgreens tabs marketing chief.(News)(appointment of Kim Feil )
Oct 13, 2008 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Former Sara Lee Corp. marketing executive Kim Feil has joined Walgreen Co. as vice president and chief marketing officer, in one of several personnel moves at the drug chain. (See related story, page 2.) Executives say that in her post, a new one at Walgreens, ...
CMS gives ground in Medicaid fight.(News)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- In another gain for community pharmacy in its fight against Medicaid reimbursement cuts, federal regulators have acknowledged legal concerns with their definition of a "multiple-source drug." The acknowledgement by the ...
Wrangling over the sale of Longs continues.(News)(Longs Drug Stores Corp.)
Oct 13, 2008 ... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Lawyers for an investment group advising unions have questioned the contention of Longs Drug Stores' board of directors that Walgreen Co.'s offer to buy the chain would run afoul of antitrust regulations. In a letter to Dr. Mary Metz, chairwoman of the ...
Congress reins in illegal Web pharmacies.(News)
Oct 13, 2008 ... WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has applauded the Senate's passage of legislation that targets illegal online pharmacies and protects patients' ability to fill legitimate prescriptions on the Web. Illegal online sites lure consumers into schemes to ...
Guinnessey is Drug Fair CFO.(News)(appointment of Kathleen Guinnessey)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... SOMERSET, N.J. -- Drug Fair Group Inc. has named Kathleen Guinnessey to the post of chief financial officer. Guinnessey has spent more than 15 years in senior financial leadership roles, most recently serving as senior vice president and CFO of Levitz Furniture Co. ...
MedHelp teams up with drugstore.com.(News)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- MedHelp, a leading online health care community that connects people to medical experts and information, has partnered with drugstore.com to provide registered pharmacists to answer MedHelp members' questions. Called Ask-a-Pharmacist, the new forum is the first ...
Navarro unveils Rx savings club.(News)(Navarro Discount Pharmacies)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... MIAMI -- Navarro Discount Pharmacies has introduced a customer-service program to help patients save money and time when filling prescriptions. Called Navarro Savings Club, the program is designed to offer patients with little or no insurance discounts on more than 400 ...
Walgreens promotes three merchandising execs.(News)(promotions of Carlo Baldan, Robert Thompkins and Robert Bobber)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has promoted three executives within its merchandising organization. Carlo Baldan has been promoted to divisional merchandise manager for personal care within the retailer's beauty and fashion division. He had most recently served as category ...
Welfare-to-work program thriving.(News)(CVS Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp.'s efforts to bring welfare recipients into the workplace has given more than 63,000 people jobs at the chain. "These folks are moving up the career path," says CVS Caremark director for workforce initiatives Steve Wing, adding that the ...
Walgreens offers view on organized retail crime.(Newsc)
Oct 13, 2008 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Retailers across the country face a serious threat from organized crime, a Walgreen Co. investigator told members of Congress last month. "Organized retail crime is an extremely sophisticated and coordinated crime," Walgreens organized retail crime field ...
California delays implementation of Rx pedigree rules.(News)
Oct 13, 2008 ... SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late last month signed a bill giving community pharmacies in California six more years to comply with electronic pedigree and track-and-trace technology requirements for prescription drugs. The law, which revises the technology ...
Pharmacy gets a win on Tricare.(News)(National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. )(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... WASHINGTON -- Both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed the House/ Senate negotiated version of S.3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. The bill includes an important provision to preserve pharmacy choice for Tricare beneficiaries. The ...
A new 'Vision for Pharmacy' takes shape.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TORONTO -- For some years the drug store sector led Canadian retail sales growth. But that has not been the case so far in 2008. Year over year all retail (excluding automotive) has shown 7.7% expansion, while pharmacy and "personal care ...
Changes sought in five areas.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... TORONTO -- Canadian pharmacy's "Blueprint for Action" proposes 54 key changes in five areas. In human resources, it calls for describing innovative practice models, achieving consensus on enhanced skills and knowledge for pharmacists in key sectors of practice, leading and ...
Meeting will focus on new ideas in Rx.(The Canadian Market)(Conference news)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... TORONTO -- Different compensation models that have sprung up internationally to ensure the viability of pharmacy during health care reform will be examined during a one-day Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores forum next month. "Global Innovation in Pharmacy," at the ...
CACDS pushes for innovation.(The Canadian Market)(Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TORONTO -- The need for Canadian pharmacy to engage with government to address funding is highlighted by an Ontario report on the costs of community pharmacy services. The study of 505 community pharmacies in Ontario found that the median cost ...
Hitting on all cylinders, SDM continues to extend reach.(The Canadian Market)(Shoppers Drug Mart Ltd.)
Oct 13, 2008 ... TORONTO -- The physical growth of Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) shows no sign of slowing down. Last year selling floor square footage grew 11.5%, and president and chief executive officer Jurgen Schreiber predicts growth of 10% a year or more for the next few years. At the end of the ...
Katz works to raise Rx compliance.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... EDMONTON, Alberta -- "Forgetting where you parked your car can be annoying. Forgetting to refill prescriptions can be dangerous." That message greets visitors to the Katz Group's Rexall pharmacy web site, which serves the company's Pharma Plus, Guardian I.D.A. and The Medicine Shoppe ...
Lawtons capitalizes on synergies with Sobeys' pharmacies.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia -- Unlike in western Canada, which has seen frenetic growth, it has pretty much been business as usual in the Atlantic provinces. Likewise Lawtons Drug Stores has seen little change in its store count. It now has 65 outlets, including a pharmacy-by-mail operation, ...
In response to weak economy, Coutu adjusts mix, pricing.(The Canadian Market)(Jean Coutu Group Inc.)
Oct 13, 2008 ... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- Economic uncertainty is leading to a greater emphasis on value at the Jean Coutu Group. As a high/low retailer, the chain is attuned to the public's anxiety and is adjusting its offer and pricing accordingly, notes president and chief executive officer ...
London Drugs occupies sweet spot.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RICHMOND, British Columbia -- The Winter Olympics are still 15 months away, but the construction and other economic activity that typically accompany the sporting event are heating up an already prosperous provincial economy. London Drugs, ...
Uniprix succeeds in enhancing the customer experience.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... ST. LEONARD, Quebec -- Affiliates in this voluntary chain operating under one of four banners (Uniprix, Unipharm, Uniclinique and Clinique Sante) continue to maintain second place in terms of volume among pharmacy operators in Quebec. And growth in store numbers (there were 381 units at ...
Pharmasave thrives on consensus.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... LANGLEY, British Columbia -- Providing direction and leadership to a grouping of more than 400 independently minded professionals, spread across a 4,500-mile-wide land mass, cannot be achieved through a command and control structure. Sue Paish was well aware of that fact when she assumed ...
Value Drug Mart adapts to market conditions.(The Canadian Market)
Oct 13, 2008 ... EDMONTON, Alberta -- This voluntary chain, servicing affiliated pharmacies operating under the Value Drug Mart and Apple Drugs banners and a significant number of nonaffiliated units, is experiencing both the benefits and hindrances of operating in an economy that, for the last several ...
Web sites back Pepsi's commitment to sustainability.(Supplier News)
Oct 13, 2008 ... PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Two new interactive web sites from Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages emphasize its efforts in environmental sustainability and encourage consumers to become more environmentally responsible. PepsiCo shares its environmental sustainability commitments at ...
Beiersdorf banking on innovation.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... BOSTON -- No other skin care company puts as much emphasis on science as Beiersdorf AG, executives said earlier this month at the company's annual Global Leadership Conference here. "Unlike any other company, we know the human body and which processes and substances affect our ...
PLMA show to put spotlight on licensing.(Supplier News)(Private Label Manufacturers Association)
Oct 13, 2008 ... ROSEMONT, Ill. -- With retailers increasingly leveraging celebrity endorsements and licensing to promote store brands, the Private Label Manufacturers Association's (PLMA's) 2008 trade show will present a special pavilion of companies offering opportunities for licensing partnerships. ...
Unilever to take Axe into hair care.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Unilever is launching the Axe Hair line of shampoo, conditioner and styling products. The line comprises three shampoos: Just Clean; De-Glue + Scrub, which contains rock crystals; and De-Poof, which incorporates a hydrating kukui blend. There are also an ...
Maybelline to launch Lash Stiletto.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Maybelline New York, which is already the leader in the eye mascara segment of the color cosmetics category, is poised to introduce Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length mascara. "Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length mascara gives lashes provocative length and ...
Walgreens closes the books on another record year.(Business)(financial news)(Financial report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Although Walgreen Co. posted another year of record sales and profits in fiscal 2008, for the second year in a row the company ended on a somewhat disappointing note, as fourth quarter revenue fell short of expectations despite aggressive promotions. (A year ago ...
Rate of organic growth will moderate in future.(Business)
Oct 13, 2008 ... DEERFIELD, Pa. -- During Walgreens' fourth quarter conference call senior vice president and chief financial officer Wade Miquelon updated analysts on the company's organic growth plans. Capital expenditures in fiscal 2008 totaled $2.2 billion, but that figure will decrease ...
Rite Aid posts $222 million loss in second quarter.(Business)
Oct 13, 2008 ... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- The second quarter net loss at Rite Aid Corp. more than tripled as store closures and negative same-store results from the acquired Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy outlets deflated the top line. Store-closing costs, refinancing expenses and heavy promotional spending all combined ...
More tough going is anticipated.(Business)(Rite Aid Corp. financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- With another quarter of unexpectedly large losses, Rite Aid management once again lowered its sights for the 2009 fiscal year and announced a series of actions to cut costs and improve cash flows in the second half. The company plans to reduce its operating ...
Kroger performance tops expectations.(Business)(Financial report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... CINCINNATI -- While sales at Kroger Co. climbed 11.9% in the quarter ended August 16, the growing influence of the company's lower-margin fuel centers helped hold bottom-line growth to 3.4%. Nonetheless, with results beating Wall Street's forecast, the retailer's share price increased by ...
AmerisourceBergen profits off.(Business)(AmerisourceBergen financial news )(Financial report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... VALLEY FORGE, Pa. -- Income from continuing operations fell in the third quarter at AmerisourceBergen Corp., but results still beat Wall Street's expectations and management raised its guidance for the fourth quarter (see accompanying story). Deepening red ink at its PMSI workers' ...
Guidance for fiscal year increased.(Business)(AmerisourceBergen Corp. financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... VALLEY FORGE, Pa. -- Although AmerisourceBergen recorded a third quarter net loss because of a special charge related to divestiture of an underperforming business unit, management increased its outlook for ongoing operations for the full year. "We have raised our expectations ...
Earnings outlook affirmed.(Business)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... CINCINNATI -- In the wake of its first-half showing, in which net income grew by 9.7% to $662.5 million and profits rose 6.9% to $1.31 billion, Kroger stood by its previous guidance for fiscal 2008 earnings but raised the low end of its forecast for identical-store sales growth. ...
Drugstore.com needs to be taken seriously.(My Turn)
Oct 13, 2008; ... The chain drug retailing community has largely overlooked drugstore.com, the industry's only pure online retailer. Not without reason. Drugstore.com is new to chain drug retailing, having been in business for fewer than 10 years. It isn't a chain in the traditional sense, ...
Rx makers deserve a fair shake.(My Turn)
Oct 13, 2008; ... In characterizing the business world, National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson often says there are white hat industries and black hat industries. Few would argue with his assertion that community pharmacy comes under the former ...
Health care the natural way.(HOMEOPATHY)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Product introductions, line extensions and a rising number of consumers of all ages seeking all-natural solutions to common health problems are helping to generate heightened interest in the homeopathic category in drug stores. Other natural remedies and herb-based ...
Education spreads word about 'safe, effective options'.(MERCHANDISING)
Oct 13, 2008 ... LOS ANGELES -- Consumers are seeking health care options beyond conventional over-the-counter medications and want a convenient environment in which to buy those products, creating an ideal opportunity for drug stores targeting the homeopathy medicine category, according to J.P. Bomeman, ...
Throughout the market, homeopathy sales are rising.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. -- Homeopathic medicines are enjoying a buzz because of their increasing sales in all distribution channels, according to John Durkin, vice president of sales and marketing at Boiron USA, a leading homeopathic company. "The category is growing because ...
As the population ages, demand is sure to increase.(PAIN MANAGEMENT)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Although it cuts across all demographic spectrums, aging and pain seemingly go hand in hand. "Today's consumer does not want to concede to growing older, as evidenced by the increasing number of rejuvenating products," says Anthony Raissen, president of InterQuantum, ...
A new alternative for pain sufferers.(MERCHANDISING)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TORRANCE, Calif. -- Hisamitsu America Inc. has rolled out what it calls a new era of pain relief after the Food and Drug Administration approved Salonpas Pain Relief Patch/Salonpas Arthritis Pain. Cleared earlier this year by the FDA, the ...
Products reflect consumer wishes.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... BERKELEY, Calif. -- As the number of baby boomers increases, pain-relief products have emerged as a necessity for those who want to remain active on a daily basis, notes Bejan Esmaili, founder and chief executive officer of Flex-Power Inc., a growing manufacturer of topical pain-relief ...
People quick to seek relief.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... BALTIMORE -- Coughs, colds and allergies are troublesome, but pain is the No. 1 reason people seek medical care, according to the American Pain Foundation (APF). More than one-quarter of Americans age 20 and older (about 76.5 million individuals) report that they have ...
Drug chains are first place consumers turn for relief.(DIGESTIVES)(Report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- With millions of Americans suffering from a wide range of stomach ailments, over-the-counter remedies for these conditions remain an integral part of chain drug stores' mix. Gastrointestinal tablets and liquids account for more than $1.3 billion in annual drug store ...
Untapped potential for probiotics is vast.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- While scientists have been touting the digestive benefits of probiotics for years and the so-called good bacteria have become a $1 billion-dollar-a-year category in the United States, research shows that most Americans still do not know much about them. According to ...
Supplements carve a niche.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Suppliers of dietary supplements note that the digestives category is not just limited to traditional antacids and laxatives. Nutritional supplements also can play a key role in helping maintain digestive health, they point out. While probiotics have received the ...
Diverse factors have impact on antacids.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Despite sales of antacid tablets falling off slightly over the past year, the $571 million category has evolved into a market that bears little resemblance to what it was just a few years ago. Products that fall under the traditional definition of antacids continue ...
A tale of two product segments.(FOOT CARE)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Why is the devices segment of the foot care category experiencing runaway growth, while the medication segment lags far behind? Dollar sales of foot care devices are up nearly 25% across the three mass market trade classes (excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)--and an ...
Store brands strike a chord.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- In these tough economic times, more and more Americans are turning to private label items for foot care. According to Information Resources Inc., private label items are among the top three sellers in both the foot care devices and medications segments. While private ...
In foot care, women look for something extra.(MERCHANDISING)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- The nature of the shoes worn by women guarantees that they will continue to have more of a need than men for a variety of foot care products. Women take care of their feet more than men do, and the combination of the high-heeled shoes they wear and the greater ...
Del introduces Borghese line.(What's New)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Coty Inc.'s Del Laboratories has launched Borghese, a new line of hand and foot care products that includes two unique pedicure items. Satina ...
Nony X, CalleX are featured in Xenna campaign.(What's New)
Oct 13, 2008 ... Xenna Corp. is building brand awareness for its NonyX Nail Gel and CalleX Ointment by stepping up its advertising support. The company ...
Pedag unveils Lady insole.(What's New)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... Pedag USA has introduced Lady, a 3/4-length insole specifically designed for women's pumps, slippers and open-toed shoes. Lady supports the metatarsal arch with an orthopedic pellet that helps prevent "spread foot" and stays in position with a self-adhesive foil. The ...
Efforts to inform consumers pay off.(MERCHANDISING/FOOT CARE)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Innovation and education are the keys to improving sales in the foot care/ athlete's foot medication segment, according to leading suppliers in the foot care category. "The fact is that most pharmacists are simply not aware of the newer brands and their unique ...
Foot care needs increase with age.(MERCHANDISING/FOOT CARE)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- A key reason for robust sales in the foot care device category is the aging of the population. Baby boomers are remaining active into their 50s and 60s, which helps maintain their health but also adds more wear and tear on their feet. "Boomers are ...
Chains do part to fuel demand.(MERCHANDISING/FOOT CARE)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Among the ways chain drug retailers are maximizing foot care sales is to partner with suppliers to create compelling in-store merchandising vehicles and advertising in weekly circulars. "More drug chains are flagging the foot care section with overhanging aisle ...
Eyewear a perfect fit for the chain drug mix.(EYEWEAR)(Report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Sunglasses and reading glasses are ideal drug store categories, retailers and suppliers say. The two eyewear segments provide everything that chain drug retailers across the nation seek: good margins, an impulse sales driver and a small-footprint/high-return ...
Device helps sell reading glasses.(MERCHANDISING)(Select-A-Vision )(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -- For the most part, consumers looking for reading glasses have been forced to try on pair after pair to find one that corrects their vision. A few years ago the supplier Select-A-Vision changed that when it developed the patented Magnifinder, a device it ...
Sunglasses exhibit latest in fashion trends.(MERCHANDISING)(Report)
Oct 13, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- As consumers across the country continue to struggle with a what can optimistically be called a sluggish economy, sunglasses are becoming an inexpensive way to make a fashion statement, industry professionals say. Research by the ...
Multifunctional is new mantra.(MERCHANDISING)(reading glasses )(Report)(Brief article)
Oct 13, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- With more baby boomers reaching middle age and having trouble seeing the printed page or the electronic type on their computer screens, the market for reading glasses is strong and getting stronger. "Long gone are the days when people questioned whether reading ...