Industry in lull as it enters crucial holiday season
The all-important Christmas selling season is about to begin. Truth is, the season begins during the run-up to Halloween and runs, virtually non-stop, through December 24.
2016
Efforts to stem prescription drug abuse heat up
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) has lauded Walgreens for fighting the pervasive problem of prescription drug abuse and misuse. Ryan late last month appeared at a Walgreens outlet here, his hometown, to mark Wisconsin’s first in-store drug take-back kiosk.
Kroger ups stake in specialty pharmacy
Axium Pharmacy Holdings Inc., a unit of Kroger Co., has agreed to acquire Modern HC Holdings Inc. (ModernHEALTH), a specialty pharmacy operator, to create a combined specialty pharmacy organization. Terms of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed.
WBA strikes franchising deal in South Korea
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) has signed an agreement to form a franchise partnership with Emart Co., a subsidiary of South Korea’s largest retailer, Shinsegae Group.
Canadians ponder health care sustainability
The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) has responded to a recent communiqué issued by Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers regarding the nation’s health care system.
Digital tech is upending status quo in health care
Retail pharmacy is no stranger to technology. For many years pharmacy operators and their supply chain partners have relied on computer-driven systems to ensure efficient distribution of products, assist pharmacists in dispensing and adjudicate insurance claims.
Patient misuse of medications widespread
More than half of American adults taking prescription drugs misused their medications last year, according to a new study by Quest Diagnostics.
Walgreens adjusts web strategy
Walgreens is shutting down drugstore.com and Beauty.com in an effort to focus on Walgreens.com. The retailer, which acquired the two e-commerce operations in 2011, expects the shutdown to be completed by the end of September.
Coutu faces legal challenge from franchisees
The Jean Coutu Group is the target of a class-action suit filed by a group of its franchisees seeking to recover $252 million in royalties. In a brief statement, the company said that it intends to contest the action. The lawsuit was filed in the superior court of Quebec in Montreal on behalf
Bartell continues to hone stores
Bartell Drugs has remodeled two stores and announced an opening for next year. The chain completed renovations in West Seattle and Snohomish and announced a new outlet for Snoqualmie, east of Lake Washington.
Walmart takes aim at harmful chemicals
In a major follow-up to the sustainable chemistry policy it unveiled in 2013, Walmart has published a list of eight controversial chemicals that it is asking suppliers to eliminate from their products. The targeted substances were limited in number to make quick progress easier.
Former Walmart exec dead at 82
Former Walmart executive Don Soderquist passed away last month due to complications from heart surgery. He was 82. Soderquist was recruited by Walmart founder Sam Walton from Ben Franklin Stores, where Walton had his retailing start.
Specialty pharmacy facility in Fla. unveiled by CVS
CVS Health has opened a 112,000-square-foot specialty pharmacy here. The new facility will provide disease education, pharmacy and medication counseling, benefits verification, medication dispensing, and coordination of care with multiple providers.
As FTC weighs Rite Aid deal, WBA moves ahead
It has been slightly more than nine months since Walgreens Boots Alliance agreed to acquire Rite Aid in a $17.2 billion all-cash transaction.
Another typical year in retailing unfolds
and the news concerning the chain drug store community has hardly made a ripple. The Walgreens acquisition of Rite Aid remains a work in progress, though all parties hoped it would have been completed by now. The NACDS Total Store Expo event is unfolding without many
Is it doomsday for retail chains? Not yet
The continuous roller coaster of retail sales results could make even the greatest optimist weep. In recent months, when retailers like Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney and Target reported less than stellar results, it was hard not to take on a Chicken Little view that the sky was falling.