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Inside This Issue - News
With the third quarter drawing to a close and the holiday season on the horizon, the country’s two biggest discount retailers have a somewhat different outlook for the end of the year. Walgreen Co. has launched a customer loyalty program called Balance Rewards. The drug chain says the program will offer customers ways to save, earn points and get rewarded for purchases, services and healthy behaviors. Delhaize Group has tapped fast-food industry veteran Roland Smith to head its U.S. supermarket operations. Walmart’s domestic business continued to show strong results in the second quarter, and overall results exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. Management narrowed and raised its earnings guidance for the full 2013 fiscal year, but its revised projection barely met analysts’ average forecast. Among mass market retailers the strong got stronger during August while other chains reporting monthly sales struggled. For specialty retailers and department stores, though, summer drew to a close on a solidly positive note, perhaps reflecting an uptick in consumer sentiment for the month. Former Hy-Vee Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Ric Jurgens received the Hall of Achievement Award from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Peapod LLC, the home delivery arm of Ahold USA, has launched a new store pickup service, Peapod Pick-Up. The service initially is being offered at the Stop & Shop supermarket here. Additional locations are planned for the future.
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