Content about Economy of the United Kingdom

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has launched its annual April fundraising campaign to benefit people with disabilities, the supermarket chain said Monday.

The company said The Safeway Foundation, its philanthropic arm, had launched the campaign to benefit Easter Seals, Special Olympics and other groups, saying its Support for People with Disabilities campaign had contributed more than $140 million.

ATLANTA — Safeway has agreed to install SoloHealth Station kiosks across almost 700 stores as part of a multiyear agreement, SoloHealth announced Tuesday. 

“Safeway shares our commitment of empowering consumers to take charge of their health,” stated Stephen Kendig, chief commercial officer and EVP SoloHealth. “We believe that access, awareness and education are keys to a healthy lifestyle, and we’re bringing comprehensive health and wellness services directly to Safeway’s customers.”

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Friday announced the retirement of Bruce Everette, EVP retail operations. Kelly Griffith, current president of merchandising, has been chosen to succeed Everette.

"We are deeply grateful to Bruce for his significant and lasting contribution to our company's success," stated Steve Burd, chairman and CEO. "He is the consummate operating executive whose results and people-oriented approach to the business leave an unmistakable imprint on who we are as a company."

NEW YORK — U.K. grocer Tesco is attempting to reassure shoppers that its United States-based Fresh & Easy supermarkets are not closing after announcing in December plans to exit the U.S. market, Bloomberg News reported Friday. 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Reckitt Benckiser on Tuesday announced the appointment of Suzanne LoGalbo to the position of regulatory affairs director, Reckitt Benckiser North America.  

LoGalbo joins RB from Pfizer Consumer Health. While at Pfizer, LoGalbo most recently held the position of global regulatory portfolio lead worldwide regulatory strategy. Prior to Pfizer, Suzanne was the head of global regulatory affairs North America for Novartis Consumer Health. She has also held regulatory leadership roles at Polaris, Solvay, Arganon and Sandoz.  

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands — Royal Ahold has appointed a new COO for its U.S. subsidiary, the company said Thursday.

Ahold, based in the Netherlands, announced that it had appointed James McCann as COO of Ahold USA, effective Jan. 1, 2013, replacing Carl Schlicker, who has announced his retirement. McCann, a 43-year-old native of the United Kingdom and currently Ahold's chief commercial and development officer who will continue as a member of the company's corporate board, began working for Ahold in 2011.

Walgreens and Alliance Boots — it’s a trans-Atlantic retail pharmacy game-changer. 


As the largest single purchaser of prescription drugs in the world, with 11,000 retail pharmacies in 12 countries that currently dispense more than 260 million prescriptions a year, and a global pharmaceutical wholesale operation to match, serving more than 180,000 healthcare outlets worldwide, the new company will have a whole lot more leverage on that side of the business. 


LONDON — Alliance Boots has continued to expand its presence in the global marketplace by opening its 200th store in Thailand.

The international pharmacy-led health and beauty group said the store — which was inaugurated by executive chairman Stefano Pessina, pharmaceutical wholesale division CEO Ornella Barra and health and beauty division CEO Alex Gourlay on Tuesday — is located in central Bangkok. Alliance Boots opened its first Boots store in Thailand in 1997, the company said.

NEW YORK — Coty has announced that Bart Becht, former Reckitt Benckiser CEO, has joined its board as nonexecutive chairman.

Becht stepped down as CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, a U.K.-based consumer goods company, in August 2011.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Tesco's U.S. subsidiary Fresh & Easy said it's looking to fill more than 100 employee positions, including positions for four new California stores, the company announced Thursday.

Over the next several weeks, Fresh & Easy will open four new stores, which will be located in Los Angeles, Anaheim Hills, Calif., and Sunnyvale, Calif.

LONDON — British retailer Tesco will launch its loyalty card program in the United States, according to published reports.

Tesco reportedly is launching the program in an effort to make a profit on its Fresh & Easy stores on the West Coast. The stores, which opened in 2007, have had difficulty turning a profit. The company now operates 175 stores, but has continued losing money.

The new card will allow customers to win points when they use it, much like loyalty cards it offers in the United Kingdom and other markets.