Content about Conference Call

SAN FRANCISCO — A little less than a month following the company's IdeaShare 2011 conference held here, McKesson reported a strong first-quarter headwind that will help support many of the initiatives announced at the show, particularly for its Health Mart independent pharmacy group.


With its latest string of initiatives designed to bring it out of a slump that lasted more than a decade, Rite Aid is aiming for “wellness” to do for it what the lower-case “i” did for Apple.


First, there was the wellness+ loyalty card program. Then, there was the wellness store format, with its team of Wellness Ambassadors. “This new format is all about empowering our customers in their pursuit of wellness,” president and CEO John Standley said in the company’s first quarter 2012 earnings call on June 23.



Since its nationwide launch in April 2010, Rite Aid’s wellness+ loyalty card program rapidly has proven itself to be a phenomenal boost to the chain’s business as the first-ever loyalty program designed to enhance customers’ savings and well-being together.


AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb told investors at a Jefferies Global Consumer Conference that the 300-store chain is expected to grow to 1,000 stores in the United States.

The organic grocer sees opportunity in Canada as well, and Robb said it expects to grow its store count there from six to 35.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Soon after reporting double-digit earnings per share growth Tuesday morning, Walgreens announced it would forego as much as $5.3 billion in annual sales, representing some 7% of the company’s business and 90 million prescriptions, as it walks away from its relationship with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts.

Wall Street reacted badly to the news — sales of Walgreens’ stock were down more than 6% to $42 and change in mid-morning trading.

NEW YORK — Target plans to spend more than it had forecast this year on its entry into the Canadian market as it nails down more of the best retail locations sooner than expected.

The retailer said it will be able to “clarify” within weeks the number and locations of the first 100 to 150 stores it will open in Canada.

“We expect to close on higher value lease transactions sooner than expected,” Target CFO Doug Scovanner told analysts on a conference call Wednesday.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday beat analysts’ quarterly consensus, posting 46 cents in earnings per share (adjusted for a goodwill impairment charge) that exceeded consensus by 2 cents EPS, with a higher-than-expected identical-store sales lift of 3.8% (excluding fuel).

Same-store sales were particularly strong across natural food, bakery and deli/meat, Kroger chairman and CEO David Dillon told analysts during a conference call. “We were particularly pleased by sales growth in our drug and merchandise departments,” Dillon said.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — What will define success for CVS Caremark in the years ahead? If you ask incoming CEO Larry Merlo, it all comes down to three things: flawless execution, cross-functional thinking and management, and enhancing value. Not coincidentally, those are three key reasons Merlo inherited the top spot at the company.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — What Rite Aid might wish for Christmas is accelerated results borne from its Wellness+ loyalty card program, because even as the chain lowered its guidance for fiscal 2011 sales, it’s that differentiated loyalty program that executives believe is going to buttress sales next year and beyond.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target reportedly is scaling back with a new small urban format.

Announced on Friday at Target Field in Minneapolis, the big-box retailer said it will develop stores that will be 60,000 sq. ft. to 100,000 sq. ft., compared with its typical 125,000-sq.-ft. to 180,000-sq.-ft. size.

The first smaller-scale store is slated to open in Seattle in 2012, followed by several other cities.