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
Walgreens Boots Alliance has shifted into high gear since the start of 2021. Building on a foundation that it painstakingly laid in recent years, the company has unleashed a salvo of initiatives designed to buttress its central role in health care and retailing. Following the realignment of its partnership with AmerisourceBergen — a transaction that
Walgreens Boots Alliance has shifted into high gear since the start of 2021. Building on a foundation that it painstakingly laid in recent years, the company has unleashed a salvo of initiatives designed to buttress its central role in health care and retailing. Following the realignment of its partnership with AmerisourceBergen — a transaction that
The Supreme Court’s decision in Rutledge v. PCMA to uphold Arkansas’ right to regulate pharmacy benefits managers signals a turning point in the protracted battle to make the relationship between PBMs and retail pharmacies more equitable. In a unanimous ruling (Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not hear the case), the court found that an Arkansas
Albertsons Cos. president and chief executive officer Vivek Sankaran recently spoke with Mass Market Retailers editor-in-chief Jeffrey Woldt about the need to remain nimble and flexible as consumer behavior changes, the company’s response to COVID-19, and Albertsons’ growth strategy. This is an edited version of that conversation, which is available in video form on massmarketretailers.com.
Much has been made of shoppers’ changing behavior during the holiday selling season. Driven by fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift away from brick-and-mortar stores toward e-commerce has accelerated significantly. Adobe Analytics reports that online sales set records on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, rising some 22% on the first two days and
Care Pharmacies chief executive officer Mike Wysong recently spoke with Mass Market Retailers editor-in-chief Jeffrey Woldt about the reasons behind Care’s robust growth. This is an edited version of that conversation, which is available in video form on massmarketretailers.com. WOLDT: Maybe you can talk a little bit about your growth trajectory and the strategy behind
The centrality of retail pharmacies in protecting the health of Americans was underscored earlier this month when the Department of Health and Human Services reached an agreement with a group of national retailers, regional chains and networks of independent drug stores to facilitate COVID-19 immunizations, after one or more vaccines receive Food and Drug Administration