Content about Top Retailers

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is moving forward with what could be characterized as a rollout of its Neighborhood Market format nearly 13 years after the first unit opened in fall 1998. Just don’t call it a Neighborhood Market.

CHICAGO — The Windy City’s problem with food deserts is getting attention from the city’s mayor and some of the country’s top retailers, according to published reports.

WASHINGTON — An investment group that holds approximately 3 million shares of Rite Aid stock is calling for an overhaul of the retail pharmacy chain’s board ahead of its annual stockholders meeting next Thursday.

In a letter to Rite Aid’s board of directors, the CtW Investment Group, which works with pension funds sponsored by unions affiliated with the nonprofit group Change to Win, said its analysis found that only 4-of-the-11 nominees named in Rite Aid’s May 13th proxy statement were sufficiently independent to represent public shareholders.

LAS VEGAS — Nickelodeon is launching the first products themed after one of its live-action comedy series exclusively at Walmart.

U.S. and Canadian Walmart stores will carry the more than 250 products based on the show "Victorious," including apparel, accessories, entertainment and school supplies. Most stores will begin carrying the items in July through the back-to-school shopping season.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Catalyst Health Solutions on Monday announced it has completed its acquisition of Walgreens’ pharmacy benefit management subsidiary, Walgreens Health Initiatives.

“We have been pleased with the integration planning and are highly confident that the company will rapidly realize the many strategic and financial benefits of this transaction,” stated David Blair, Catalyst CEO.

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and COLUMBUS, Ohio — MinuteClinic has entered a clinical affiliation with OhioHealth, a not-for-profit, charitable healthcare organization based in Columbus. MinuteClinic has seven walk-in medical clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores throughout the region.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is bringing Coinstar's self-service coin-counting kiosks to its U.S. and Canadian stores, the supermarket retailer announced Thursday.

Safeway said it agreed to install 1,400 Coinstar kiosks by the end of 2011, with installations slated to begin this month in Safeway stores and its banners, including Vons, Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Carrs and Pak N' Save.

NEW YORK — Moody's Investors Service compared the three largest pharmacy benefit managers — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions — in a report issued Tuesday. While it maintained a positive view of all three, it gave CVS Caremark the highest credit rating.

"CVS Caremark has the highest credit rating of the three companies and is the only one with a retail pharmacy business, providing it with size and diversity that offset financial metrics that are weaker than the company's PBM peers," the report stated.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group of Chicago on Wednesday announced a new coordinated healthcare program in which Walgreens will share the results of appropriately timed pharmacist clinical interventions with primary care physicians of selected patients.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Take Care Health Systems and Memorial Health on Tuesday announced a new relationship that will increase opportunities for clinical collaboration and improve patient access to high-quality, convenient and affordable healthcare options in the greater Jacksonville region.

ALBANY, N.Y. — The cost of acquiring a Facebook “liker?" Less than 13 cents per fan, according to a Media Logic blog entry posted last week. At least that’s what retailer Kirkland's spent in its pursuit of more than 200,000 Facebook surfers who opted-in on the Kirkland's page. And because the act of a Facebook user “liking” a page is posted on that person’s newsfeed, it fast becomes a case of “if you tell two friends and they each in turn tell two friends ...”

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is partnering with the Skin Cancer Foundation to launch a healthy skin care campaign for the summer, the retail pharmacy chain announced Monday.

The campaign, which will last through July 26, will include free informational guides in all the chain’s stores and online, as well as promotions for skin care products and a national tour featuring free full-body skin cancer screenings by local dermatologists and advice from Rite Aid pharmacists.