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Yogurt and yogurt drinks have become a powerhouse category, with Greek-style yogurts boosting category sales. Mintel International Group estimated that category sales reached $4.4 billion across all three channels in 2010, and there is still room for growth.


HERSHEY, Pa. — Just one month after filling in as the interim leader of chocolate giant Hershey, John Bilbrey officially took the reigns as president and CEO of the company.

Bilbrey also was elected to Hershey's board of directors, Hershey said Wednesday. Bilbrey, who served as the company's EVP and COO until May, replaced David West, who left his post after 10 years to become the chief executive at Del Monte Foods.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Why is the news that CVS Caremark has secured the mail-order and specialty prescription drug benefit for Federal Employee Program so important? Well, some pundits might say there is no indication that the integrated retail-pharmacy benefit manager model had anything to do with why FEP chose Caremark over Medco. It doesn't matter. As any football coach would say, "A win's a win," and this is a big one.

MELROSE PARK, Ill. — Alberto Culver reported a 6.1% increase in its second-quarter net sales for the period ended March 31.

The company that's behind such beauty care brands as Tresemme, Alberto VO5, Nexxus, St. Ives, Simple and Noxzema said second-quarter net sales rose to $408.2 million from $384.8 million in the prior-year second quarter. On an organic basis, which excludes the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, sales increased 4.3% in the current quarter, led by high single-digit branded beauty care sales growth.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo is launching its latest Propel drink with the same great taste and a pretty face; Cindy Crawford is representing Propel Zero, the zero-calorie, enhanced water with no artificial flavors and no heavy sweeteners, in the brand's new campaign that begins this week.

PARIS — The president of Procter & Gamble's global hair care business is taking on a new role at Sephora.

Effective March 31, Christopher de Lapuente will end his 28-year career at P&G to become the global president and CEO for beauty retailer Sephora, which is owned by luxury group LVMH. All regions worldwide will report to him. For European operations, de Lapuente succeeds Jacques Levy.

In addition to his responsibilities as global president and CEO for Sephora, de Lapuente also will be a member of LVMH's executive committee.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Impax Labs received regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its generic version of a bacterial infection treatment. The drug maker said the FDA approved its 150-mg doxycycline monohydrate capsules, a drug used to treat bacterial infections and a generic version of Adoxa, made by Nycomed subsidiary PharmaDerm. The 150-mg strength of Adoxa had sales of about $25 million during the 12 months ended in December 2010, according to Wolters Kluwer.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Bayer HealthCare on Wednesday launched the Said/Heard Mishaps contest on its Alka-Seltzer Facebook page. The contest gives entrants the opportunity to trade those miscommunication experiences that may have caused some gastrointestinal distress for a chance to win $5,000.

SAN FRANCISCO — For some guys, it’s just in their blood. That’s definitely the case for Tim Canning — you can say he was born into this business.


Canning, 1-of-8 children of the late, great Fred Canning — who, as president and COO of Walgreens during the late ’70s and ’80s, led a major turnaround of the company — is no doubt making his father incredibly proud these days, as he leads McKesson’s 2,700-plus-strong Health Mart stores, the fastest-growing pharmacy franchise operation in America.


WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has pulled the plug on its plan to hire former Walmart exec Hank Mullany, and is handing the keys to its retail business on an interim basis to Mike Bloom, EVP merchandising and supply chain, and Scott Baker, EVP internal operations and real estate, who will assume management for the company’s 7,100-plus stores.

Bloom and Baker, who will report to Larry Merlo, president and COO of CVS Caremark, are assuming these duties on an interim basis, pending the completion of the company's search for a new president of CVS/pharmacy.

ROGERS, Ark. — If the eyes are the window to the soul, then Walmart’s suppliers are the window to its future, thanks to the truly unique relationship the retailer enjoys with its trading partners. Walmart brought new meaning to the concept of collaboration when it pursued a strategy of data transparency decades ago that enabled fact-based decision-making. Suppliers embraced what, at the time, was a novel approach in the retail industry, and their support over the years facilitated Walmart’s expansion, sales growth for all concerned and low prices for consumers.


NEW YORK — The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus on Tuesday ruled that Procter & Gamble provided reasonable support for claims that Prilosec OTC provides “superior acid control” over a competing product, Prevacid 24HR. However, the NAD recommended P&G discontinue a comparative claim made in a context that doesn’t reference acid control, the review board added.

P&G’s Prilosec OTC claims were challenged by Novartis Consumer Health, maker of Prevacid 24HR. Claims at issue included: