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VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — AmerisourceBergen on Wednesday announced the election of former Campbell Soup president and CEO Douglas Conant to its board, effective immediately. Conant’s election increases the number of AmerisourceBergen directors from nine to 10.

“Doug’s extensive business experience, exceptional leadership capabilities and proven track record for growing brands and businesses make him an excellent addition to our board,” stated Richard Gozon, AmerisourceBergen chairman.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A shift in the New Year's holiday calendar and the introduction of new generic drugs contributed to a decrease in same-store sales for the month of December at Rite Aid, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

NEW YORK — Wall Street on Wednesday celebrated the "fiscal cliff" compromise as stocks across the board were trading up by some 200 basis points. As of noon, the Dow was up 1.7% and Nasdaq 2.3%. 

NEW YORK — Consumers continued to shop online in ever-increasing numbers this holiday season, according to Chase Holiday Pulse, an aggregator of payment processing data from 50 of Chase Paymentech's largest U.S. e-commerce merchants. Pulse results showed YTD year-over-year sales growth of 15.2%.

For the overall holiday season, Oct. 29 through Dec. 25, the Pulse analysis also revealed transaction growth was up 24.3% YoY, while the average ticket price number continued to decline by 7.3% YoY.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Though total same-store sales were down 8%, Walgreens Friday morning characterized a first quarter lifted by a steady influx of returning Express Scripts patients and driven by a steady stream of new Balance Rewards members. The Chicagotown retailer has signed 45 million Walgreens faithful since mid-September. "Today, we have the wind at our backs as we head into a new calendar year," Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson told analysts Friday morning.  

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals will present at two conferences sponsored by financial banks, the company said.

Watson said that president and CEO Paul Bisaro would provide an overview and update of the company's business at the 2013 Goldman Sachs "Healthcare CEOs Unscripted: A View from the Top" conference, scheduled for Jan. 3, 2013, at the Goldman Sachs Conference Center in New York.

Six days later, on Jan. 9, Bisaro will present at the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid beat analyst expectations in third quarter 2013 as the generic wave and retention of Express Scripts customers helped drive better-than-expected adjusted EBITDA and produced the company's first profitable quarter in five years.

"I am proud that we have achieved this significant milestone by putting our customers first and challenging ourselves to better serve them," Rite Aid president, chairman and CEO John Standley said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts Thursday morning.

NEW YORK — Predictions of a more active flu season are coming true as temperature differences have helped drive flu activity, a Citibank financial analyst wrote.

In a letter to investors, Citi Research analyst Deborah Weinswig wrote that influenza virus activity in the week ended Dec. 8 increased year over year for the ninth consecutive time this season and increased significantly compared with last week — up 28.3% compared with last week's 20.7%.

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe will buy a Pacific Northwest-based supplement chain, the New Jersey-based company said.

The Vitamin Shoppe said it would buy Super Supplements for $50 million. Super Supplements operates 31 stores in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and the Vitamin Shoppe said the acquisition would expand its presence in the Northwest, where it already operates 17 stores. The transaction is expected to close on Dec. 31.

OSAKA, Japan — Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical is selling its generics business to India-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Takeda said Monday.

Takeda said it would sell URL Pharma, through U.S. subsidiary Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, to Sun subsidiary Caraco Pharmaceutical Labs while retaining control of the gout treatment Colcrys (colchicine). Takeda acquired rights to Colcrys when it bought URL Pharma for $800 million in June 2012; financial terms of the current deal with Caraco were not disclosed.

NEW YORK — Kroger and Walmart may be looking to buy up assets from bankrupt food company Hostess Brands, according to published reports.

WASHINGTON — According to the National Retail Federation, eager holiday shoppers helped November retail sales — excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants — increase 0.8% seasonally adjusted from October and increase 4.4% unadjusted year-over-year. The NRF also expects holiday sales to grow 4.1% over the last holiday season.