Inside This Issue - Opinion

Gearing up for the industry’s main event

The Annual Meeting of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores is invariably the chain drug industry’s signature event — though invariably for different reasons each year.

Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow

The Federal Trade Commission’s decision to end its eight-month investigation of the $29 billion merger between Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions without taking action has received a surprising endorsement from The New York Times.

Post-recession, drug stores have golden opportunity

What do those economists know? For two-and-a-half years after the Great Recession was declared officially over in June of 2009, dark clouds continued to cast a long shadow over consumer spending behavior. But just in the past month, real retail sales as reported by the Federal Reserve have finally recovered to prerecession levels.

Linking OTC and Rx purchases

Americans trust pharmacists. Gallup Organization Inc. ranks pharmacists as the third-most-trusted occupation, placing pharmacists ahead of doctors. In fact, 80% of consumers would purchase an over-the-counter product if it were recommended by their pharmacist, according to Harris Interactive.

Technology emerges as game changer in retailing

It may come as no surprise, but the biggest retail trends to watch all involve technology — mobile computing, Web-based interaction, social media, gamification, augmented reality and more. New-fangled gadgets, terminology and demands have changed the landscape of the retail business forever.