In the 72 years that FMI has issued “The Food Retailing Industry Speaks” report, the survey of retail and wholesale companies is unlikely to have uncovered such a confluence of promise and peril as it has today. With COVID-19 acting as the catalyst, the supermarket sector experienced unprecedented demand and buttressed its standing over the
ZAANDAM, Netherlands — Foresight and adaptability have been two distinguishing characteristics of Ahold Delhaize since its formation in 2016, and those qualities continued to serve the retailer well in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, as it negotiated COVID-induced market changes around the world. During the three months, net revenue reached €18.6 billion, up 3%
The essential nature of the services that Hy-Vee provides in eight Midwestern states was brought into sharp focus by COVID-19. The company deserves high marks for quickly and effectively adapting operations to ensure that customers continued to have access to food, medicine and other basics throughout the pandemic. The necessity of dealing with the formidable
Despite COVID-19’s dominance of the spotlight, environmental degradation has continued apace over the past 18 months. Climate change and other factors damaging the natural world have resulted in more frequent instances of severe storms, floods and wildfires. In response, mass market retailers and other businesses, with varying degrees of commitment and varying degrees of success,
As it rose to become the nation’s largest health care provider and fourth-biggest company of any kind, CVS Health benefitted from a clear, concise raison d’être: “Helping people on their path to better health.” Those eight words encapsulated the overarching objective of an organization with deep roots in community pharmacy, which over the past 15
Bed Bath & Beyond executive vice president and chief merchandising officer and Harmon Stores president Joe Hartsig spoke to MMR editor-in-chief Jeffrey Woldt about the company’s three-year revitalization plan. This is an excerpt of an interview that can be watched at massmarketretailers.com/category/videos. WOLDT: It’s Bed Bath & Beyond’s 50th anniversary at the same time that
Walgreens Boots Alliance turned in solid quarterly results at the beginning of the month and, in the process, shed some light on the future of the company under CEO Roz Brewer, as well as on the broader retailing and health care sectors as they cope with the massive disruptions caused by COVID-19. During the third
In the wake of Amazon’s entry into the prescription drug business, competition in the sector is, predictably, beginning to escalate. The company, which aspires to be one of the nation’s leading pharmacy providers, and Walmart, which is already a top-tier provider, earlier this month rolled out initiatives designed to bolster their appeal to patients. With
The supply chain, hitherto taken for granted if not ignored completely, has assumed unaccustomed prominence during the COVID pandemic. Disruptions in the flow of some health care products and consumer staples (most notoriously personal protective equipment and toilet paper), extending from stores all the way back to the source of raw materials, were a fact
A new report from FMI elucidates the journey that the nation’s supermarkets have been on for the past 12 months and sheds light on their prospects. Based on survey responses from 52 member companies, representing some 40% of the industry, “Receipts From the Pandemic” charts the effects of the disruption in the marketplace triggered by
John Standley, who joined Walgreens as president last August, talks about changes under way that will strengthen the drug chain’s position in pharmacy, health care and retailing. Among the subjects Standley addresses in this week’s Video Forum are Walgreens’ expanding partnership with VillageMD, the retailer’s revamped loyalty program, and its big investment in digital
CVS Health has issued its annual Health Trends Report and, unsurprisingly, it foresees a growing role for community pharmacy in the years ahead. The past 12 months have been a watershed for members of the profession, with pharmacy operators across the United States stepping up to help patients and customers cope with fallout from the