Walmart held the series of events that comprise its annual meeting earlier this month on its home turf in northwest Arkansas, and, according to a well-established pattern, the occasion afforded the company the opportunity to celebrate its accomplishments, recognize its workforce and look to the future. Walmart’s eminence as the world’s biggest retailer has long
Already intense, the competition among mass market retailers for the allegiance of omnichannel shoppers is becoming more fierce. Not a week goes by without an announcement from a major retailer about how it intends to improve the customer experience. Although the idea that brick-and-mortar stores are passe and will slowly but surely whither away has
The transformation of the retail business continues apace, but the outright revolution promised by the adherents of e-commerce and digital media still appears to be a ways away. That’s one of the insights gleaned from new research conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Forrester. Based on responses from 69 retailers — a mix
Giant Eagle Inc. is one of the nation’s premier regional grocers. With 216 Giant Eagle and Market District supermarkets and 258 GetGo convenience stores, the company is a leader in its operating area, which includes western Pennsylvania, where it is headquartered; north central Ohio; northern West Virginia; central Indiana; and Maryland. The stores generate some
CHICAGO — Chain Drug Review, the sister publication of Mass Market Retailers, conducted a CBD Roundtable at the recent ECRM Cough/Cold Show at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. Participating in the panel discussion were: Dave Donnan, senior partner, A.T. Kearney. Vincent Porpiglia, president of Hero Brands, internal sales arm for Select CBD. Dave Janowicz, vice president
The just concluded holiday selling season was a good one for most retailers. Ample anecdotal evidence of strong consumer demand was confirmed shortly after Christmas in a report issued by Mastercard. Based on tracking of retail activity within the credit card company’s network, supplemented with survey-based projections for such forms of payment as cash and
The retail industry is in the midst of a golden age of experimentation and innovation. Triggered by intensified competition, changing consumer dynamics, and the revolutionary impact of digital technology and e-commerce, merchants have had no choice but to rethink the way they do business or risk obsolescence, a process that took Sears Holdings down a
In an industry where mergers and acquisitions frequently fail to live up to their promise, it is refreshing to see instances where things go according to plan. Almost two and a half years after Royal Ahold and the Delhaize Group came together, the combined company has all but completed the assimilation process, forged a common
CVS Health is clear that its primary mission is health care, an orientation that will only become more pronounced when its $77 billion acquisition of Aetna is finalized in the coming weeks. As the company continues to ramp up its already formidable array of capabilities in the field, there is a danger that some observers
When J.D. Power released the results of its annual “U.S. Pharmacy Study” back in August, Good Neighbor Pharmacy ranked highest among drug chains in customer satisfaction with a score of 903, well above the 846 average in a segment whose stock-in-trade is taking care of the patient. It was the seventh time in the last
Amid all the turmoil in retailing, health care and government, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores continues to distinguish itself through steadfast advocacy of community pharmacy. By exercising patience and persistence, while at the same time possessing the readiness to seize opportunities whenever and wherever they arise, NACDS delivers meaningful results for its member
The eleventh-hour collapse of the merger between Albertsons Cos. and Rite Aid Corp. in the face of opposition from the latter’s shareholders raises a host of questions for the two companies and the people who run them. The plug was pulled earlier this month, less than a day before Rite Aid stockholders were to have