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NEW YORK — Unilever is launching a new spray-on lotion through its Vaseline division, according to published reports.

Spray & Go will be available in Aloe Fresh, Total Moisture and Cocoa Radiant varieties, selling at $8 for 6.5-oz. cans.

The company is launching an online commercial featuring dancer Emma Chadwick, which it will launch on Monday.

CHICAGO — Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. is launching a new chewing gum that comes with a kick.

The chewing gum maker, part of Mars, plans to introduce Alert Energy Caffeine Gum next month, with full distribution expected this summer. The gum, which the company will launch at convenience stores, supermarkets and mass merchandisers, is designed for adults aged 25 to 49 who use caffeine for energy and want a portable product that lets them control caffeine intake, the company said.

CINCINNATI — Bounty, a Proctor and Gamble brand, has unveiled the new DuraTowel, a cloth-like paper towel designed to use instead of reusing dishcloths, which the company said can redeposit millions of germs after just one use.

CHICAGO — The percentage of adults in the United States who say they want to reduce or eliminate gluten from their diets reached a new high this January, according to a new study.

The NPD Group, a market research firm, has tracked efforts by Americans to reduce gluten intake since 2009, finding that 30% of adults claimed to cut down on gluten or avoid it entirely in January.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's Super Dollar on Thursday reported total sales of $159.2 million for the four weeks ended March 2, up some $200,000 from the corresponding year-ago period. Comparable store sales for the month declined 1.5%. 

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday reported total sales of $96.8 billion, up 7.1% as compared with the prior fiscal year. After adjusting for the extra week in fiscal 2012, total sales increased to $94.8 billion or 4.9% compared with the prior fiscal year. Excluding fuel, total sales increased 6% over the same period last year. Further adjusting for the extra week, total sales excluding fuel increased 4%.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — A nonprofit group that provides youth football, dance and cheerleading programs across the country has named MinuteClinic as its official sports physical provider, MinuteClinic said Thursday.

MinuteClinic, part of CVS Caremark, said sports physicals are offered seven days a week with no appointment necessary at more than 625 CVS/pharmacy stores across the country, and the collaboration, with Pop Warner Little Scholars, is designed to offer parents convenient and affordable options to obtain required sports physicals for their children.

WASHINGTON — Employers that use multiple cost-management programs have a 50% lower specialty drug trend than those that don't use them, according to a new study by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts.

The study, presented Thursday at the National Business Group on Health's Business Health Agenda 2013 conference in Washington, was described as one of the first to examine the effect of multiple utilization management programs on the cost of specialty medications, which is expected to account for $1 out of every $4 spent on prescription drugs by 2014.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's same-store sales for February 2013 decreased by 3.6% over the previous year, including a 1.3% decrease in front-end same-store sales and a 4.7% decrease in pharmacy same-store sales, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

Front-end comps attributable to flu-related OTC products were flat, while pharmacy comps included a negative effect of 695 basis points from new generic introductions. Same-store prescription count increased 0.3%, including a 0.1% decrease attributable to flu shots and prescription flu drugs.

ATLANTA — SoloHealth has more than doubled the number of retail locations featuring a SoloHealth Station digital health and wellness kiosk to more than 2,000 locations over the past three months, the healthcare technology company announced Wednesday. SoloHealth plans to have more than 3,500 health and wellness kiosks installed by the end of the year. 

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs is sponsoring "Health and Beauty" events this month at dozens of its stores, the regional retail pharmacy chain said.

Events will start Sunday and run for 13 days afterward, and will include blood-glucose testing, glucose-meter exchange and education, cholesterol testing, bone-density screenings, blood-pressure testing and others. In addition, there will be free "mini makeover" demonstrations and hair styling tips by Conair and product samplings ranging from cosmetics to supplements.

WASHINGTON — Club retailer Costco Wholesale is throwing its support behind a bill introduced in Congress Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage.