|
Inside This Issue - News
CVS Caremark Corp. expects to retain a significant portion of the pharmacy business it gained from Walgreen Co.’s impasses with Express Scripts Inc., despite their recent settlement. Bargain prices and the country’s hottest month on record boosted customer traffic in July, as chains cleared out summer stock to create space for back-to-school products. The pace of change in the supermarket sector is accelerating, and Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), is intent on positioning the association to assist its members as they adapt to evolving market conditions. The strategic plan put in place by the Food Marketing Institute shortly after Leslie Sarasin became its president and chief executive officer a little over three and a half years ago is drawing to a close, having accomplished almost all of the major objectives it included. Walgreen Co. has received all of the necessary regulatory approvals to complete the initial phase of its takeover of Alliance Boots PLC. The economic turmoil of the past four or five years has led to a polarization of the consumer population, with a shrinking middle class and more Americans who are either wealthy or poor. Shopko Stores Operating Co. has made two executive appointments its merchandising division. Over the course of a career that spanned 46 years, David Brubaker can rightly claim to have participated in the creation and development of the modern nutritional supplements industry. Consumers are paying more attention to what is in the food they eat. Some are counting calories, or watching out for too much sodium or sugar. Others need to avoid gluten or allergens, or want only natural ingredients.
|
