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The importance of natural HBC can be swiftly gauged by the November decision of Clorox Co., Oakland, Calif., to buy iconic natural personal care brand Burt's Bees, Morrisville, N.C. With [...]

The Food and Drug Administration held a public hearing last month to gather industry views on the merits of increasing behind-the-counter access to drugs. Representatives from the retail pharmacy industry [...]

CINCINNATI - Kroger's decision to partner with gift card provider Blackhawk Networks, a subsidiary of competitor Safeway, demonstrates the importance of gift cards to the supermarket industry, sources told SN. [...]

There is no shortage of bath, body and beauty products, or of stores designed specifically to attract lotion lovers in search of a little pampering. Although specialty stores with a [...]

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - To coincide with the opening of ski season at major resorts in the Northeast, Price Chopper Supermarkets here has expanded its ski ticket promotion. By purchasing the [...]

Recent research conducted by Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, found that the U.S. is lagging behind several other countries when it comes to the sales of certain health and beauty care [...]

West Des Moines, Iowa - Hy-Vee launched 'Hy-Vee Mobile' this month, a store-brand cell phone service that allows customers to buy prepaid cell phones and minutes at Hy-Vee stores. Phones [...]

Landover, Md. - Twenty-six Giant Food locations throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia began selling reloadable farecards for use on the area's Metrobus and Metrorail systems this month. Prior to [...]

Pittsburgh - Giant Eagle expanded its $4 generic prescription program this month to include over 400 medications in 20 therapeutic categories. Originally launched in late 2006 with just over 300 [...]

Oakland, Calif. - Clorox Co. will acquire Burt's Bees, Morrisville, N.C., for $925 million by the end of the year. With that, the CPG giant said, its priority will be [...]

Chandler, Ariz. - Bashas' here began a $3.99 generic drug program at more than 65 Bashas' and Food City pharmacy locations in Arizona this month. The basis for the program [...]

Grand Rapids, Mich. - Meijer here has plans to continue its expansion of in-store financial services. The retailer extended its partnership with Altanta-based financial consultancy IBT Enterprises late last month [...]

Time is more than money in community pharmacy. It is the currency that enables the pharmacist and pharmacy staff to connect with patients, and establish relationships that help define a [...]

Rockville, Md. - Since a Food and Drug Administration expert advisory panel earlier this month voted 13-9 that children ages 2 to 6 should not use cough and cold medicines [...]

Cincinnati - Less than a month after Wal-Mart expanded its $4 generic prescription drug program, Kroger Co. here launched one of its own in many divisions and banners. Kroger began [...]

While retailers like Meijer, Publix, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Kroger and Wal-Mart threw all-night book parties for the July release of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' the take-away for [...]

Baltimore - Cosmetics based on minerals and other natural ingredients were a hot topic at the Natural Products Expo East show here late last month. At the same time, Whole [...]

WASHINGTON - About 75 executives representing retail pharmacies - including those in supermarkets - converged on Congress late last month to press their concerns over Medicaid access issues. Fifty of [...]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Meijer here is housing two physician-staffed Medical Marts clinics in stores in the western suburbs of Chicago, with plans to add at least one more in [...]

Supermarket customers have started doing a lot more with their money than just shop. In a quiet trend that only recently got noticed, supermarkets and retailers in other channels have [...]

LAKELAND, Fla. - Publix became part of a statewide effort to promote the adoption of electronic prescribing capabilities in Florida this month. 'As a member, we act in an advisory [...]

CINCINNATI - Kroger Co. here added 20 alternate fueling stations to its network of gas stations in Ohio and Kentucky late last month where it is selling a branded blend [...]

ARLINGTON, Va. - Supermarket pharmacies show consistently high performance and a growing presence in overall store operations, according to 'Supermarket Pharmacy Trends 2007,' a report from the Food Marketing Institute [...]

Anti-aging cleansers, serums and creams are beating out every other subcategory in skin care, even those feisty acne treatments for the teenage set. But it doesn't stop there. Led by [...]

Although supermarkets seem to have weathered the low-priced generic storm, a new challenge has more recently presented itself in the form of the Medicaid generic drug reimbursement formula, released on [...]

OLYMPIA, Wash. - An independent supermarket operator here is suing the state of Washington over a requirement to carry and dispense any valid prescription, a rule that is primarily aimed [...]

Eleven monthly refills have passed since Wal-Mart Stores' disruptive decision to offer certain generic drugs for $4 per 30-day supply. Although many supermarkets have matched the scheme or devised plans [...]

LAKELAND, Fla. - Publix Super Markets is now offering a selection of free generic antibiotics. Starting last week, all of the retailer's 684 pharmacies began participating in the program in [...]

CINCINNATI - Kroger Co. is starting to expand an automatic car wash operation that complements its gas stations. The latest in the initiative is expected to open in August in [...]

Although it had been a long time coming, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Good Manufacturing Practices for the vitamin and supplement industry were made final in June. The regulations [...]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Capitalizing on the frenzied excitement known as 'Potter mania,' supermarkets worked merchandising magic as the final Harry Potter book went on sale July 21. Retailers including [...]

WASHINGTON - Retail pharmacy associations spoke out last week opposing the 'final' Medicaid generic drug reimbursement formula, released on July 6 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Baltimore. [...]

When it comes to beauty care, supermarkets are expected to carry the latest and greatest without confusing shoppers. But the latest in the category has been flanked by two distinct [...]

LAKELAND, Fla. - Licensed product sales at Publix Super Markets here runs the gamut from Disney souvenir items in the Orlando, Fla., area to other products offered on a local [...]

CHICAGO - The American Medical Association here is asking authorities to investigate in-store clinics for conflicts of interest that could lead to poor quality of care. Many member physicians urged [...]

NEW YORK - Supermarkets, a highly sought-after channel in the licensing world, have the freedom to be more creative than mass merchandisers, said speakers at the Licensing International Expo 2007, [...]

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Bashas' Markets here will open its first store with a gas station on Saturday. Located in Gilbert, Ariz., the store is a remodeled Albertsons unit, which closed [...]

Since the days of 'take two and call me in the morning,' the internal analgesics category has remained a high earner, in part by making slight changes based on consumer [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - For fuel customers looking to make a quick additional purchase, Kroger Co., Cincinnati, has installed a vending machine offering convenience store items at one if its locations [...]

PITTSBURGH - Giant Eagle here launched a greatly enhanced version of its online photo center this month. The retailer's previous online photo offering, available for several years, was limited to [...]

As 'green,' natural, organic or just plain healthy consumers move to the top of the shopping food chain, they are taking their pets along for the ride. Retailers should know, [...]

SAN ANTONIO - H.E. Butt Grocery Co. here has started offering its customers prepaid cell phones and service under the brand name H-E-B Mobile. Phones and calling plans are being [...]

Supermarkets are extending their health and wellness efforts to the oral care aisle, because dental care, like the rest of the medical world, can be cost prohibitive for consumers. For [...]

LUBBOCK, Texas - United Supermarkets is taking a homegrown approach to a national trend, in-store clinics. Last week the company, based here, said it found a partner in University Medical [...]

PITTSBURGH - Giant Eagle here has found another new flight path. With a 14,000-square-foot Giant Eagle Express store and 16 fuel pumps, the retailer has created a format geared to [...]

NEW YORK - Although today's consumers take in much of their news and celebrity gossip via the Internet, they are still buying magazines. Single-copy unit sales were up 1.5% in [...]

Due to rising health care costs, more Americans are researching their own health conditions - gastrointestinal being among the most prominent - and are likely to shop retailers that are [...]

The hype surrounding any prescription drug's switch to over-the-counter status consistently brings customers and sales into the store, and not just for the new product, retailers and industry experts told [...]

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Weg-mans Food Markets here will close all its remaining video rental departments and replace them with DVD rental kiosks by October. Late last month, the retailer reported [...]

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Binghamton Giant Market upgraded its customer bill payment services system in order to speed transactions late last month. The supermarket is the first partner of electronic payment [...]