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NEW YORK — Target is offering new natural and organic food products as part of its Simply Balanced private label, according to published reports.

The Associated Press reported that the line would start with such products as drinks and snacks, and was an outgrowth of similar products sold under the Archer Farms label. 

LOS ANGELES — American Licorice Company announced today that its Sour Punch Punchies candy will be available nationwide at all Target stores beginning in June.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wegmans Food Markets on Thursday announced that the Wegmans Employee Scholarship Program will award college tuition assistance to 1,880 new recipients for the upcoming 2013/2014 academic year. This is the largest number of scholarships ever awarded by the program in a single year, the grocer noted. In total, Wegmans expects to pay out $4.8 million in tuition assistance to current and new scholarship recipients during the upcoming school year.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco's reported May sales of $8.13 billion, a 7% increase over May 2012, the club retailer said Thursday.

Comps for the month increased by 5% in the chain's 449 U.S. stores during the period between May 6 and June 2. For the 39-week period that ended June 2, sales were $77.13 billion, an 8% increase over $71.28 billion during the same period last year, while comps increased by 6%. On a regional basis, the company's stores in Texas, the Southeast and the Midwest showed the strongest results.

SUMMIT, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Celgene Corp. for treating a type of cancer.

Celgene announced Thursday the approval of Revlimid (lenalidomide) for treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma, also known as MCL, whose disease has relapsed or progressed after two prior therapies that have included bortezomib.

CARLISLE, Pa. – Supermarket operator Ahold USA has completed rolling out prescription-savings cards at the chains it operates with the introduction of the cards in Giant Food Stores.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The Kellogg Company is adding new Special K Nourish hot cereal and bars, and Kellogg's To Go breakfast shakes to its line of breakfast options.

"Special K Nourish hot cereal and bars are specifically designed for people who are seeking positive nutrition to help manage their weight," said Doug VanDeVelde, senior vice president, Kellogg Morning Foods. "These consumers are focused on eating better, not just eating less."

WASHINGTON — Organized retail crime may have decreased very slightly last year, according to a new National Retail Federation study, but it remains a massive problem and the nation’s largest cities are especially prone to organized activities.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's same-store sales decreased by 1.5% in May as the shift to generic drugs continued to offset front-end comps, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

The Camp Hill, Pa.-based retailer reported a 0.8% increase in front-end comps for the month, which included the five weeks that ended June 1, and a 2.7% decrease in pharmacy comps, which itself included a 3.73% negative effect from new generics. Same-store prescription count decreased by 0.3%.

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Fish oil supplements may protect the heart in stressful situations, according to a study published in the May edition of the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's Super Dollar on Thursday posted sales of $152.4 million, up 0.2%, for the four weeks ended June 1. Comparable store sales for the month decreased 0.5% compared with an increase of 1.3% in the same period last year.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Thursday applauded the Vermont legislature and Gov. Peter Shumlin for their passage of House Bill 522, which makes Vermont the 27th state to adopt the pseudoephedrine-tracking system known as the National Precursor Log Exchange.