Content about United Kingdom

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.

LAKE MARY, Fla. — Axium Healthcare Pharmacy was named the recipient of a 2011 SMART Award in the healthcare and life sciences category by the Association for Corporate Growth's Orlando chapter, the specialty pharmacy provider announced last week.

Each year, ACG Orlando presents SMART Awards as part of its continuing commitment to facilitate relationships among middle-market companies, capital sources and professionals active in corporate finance throughout Central Florida, Axium said. ACG Orlando hosted its fifth annual SMART Awards luncheon in late May.

A shift in consumers’ shopping behavior to one that is focused on value, coupled with a desire to escape everyday stresses, likely helped drive the growth of bath and body scrubbers/massagers.


As shoppers increasingly have been watching their dollars, many have been creating an at-home spa experience versus spending their money at a pricey salon. This desire to create an at-home oasis has benefited the bath and body segment.


COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A new survey sponsored by drug maker Novo Nordisk, which polled Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France, found that about 1-in-5 respondents regularly are unable to attend a full day of work due to disruption caused by episodes of dangerously low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemic events.

NEW YORK — Kao Brands’ John Frieda officially has launched its first-ever permanent hair color and is looking to shake up the hair color segment with the new Precision Foam Colour. The at-home hair color is designed to provide salon-caliber results in both coverage and color. The nonaerosol foam spreads evenly through the hair, saturating every strand with no mess. The 20-shade 
palette collection was developed in conjunction with John Frieda creative color director and U.K. colorist Nicola Clarke. The collection is priced at $12.99.

HIGH WYCOMBE, United Kingdom — A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson is recalling several batches of an HIV drug after reports of a strange odor that may have come from the shipping pallets.

Janssen-Cilag International said it would recall five lots of Prezista (darunavir) due to consumer reports of a musty or moldy smell coming from them. The odor is believed to result from traces of the chemical TBA, which is used in the construction of the pallets. The recalled lots were found in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Austria.


Shoppers of Bed Bath & Beyond’s Upper East Side location in New York can experience the ultimate beauty destination thanks to the recent opening there of L’Oréal Paris’ first-ever “boutique.”


SLOUGH, England — Reckitt Benckiser on Thursday announced the retirement of Bart Becht as CEO, effective Sept. 1. Becht will be succeeded by Rakesh Kapoor, a 25-year RB veteran and current EVP global category development.

Becht will serve as a part-time adviser through September 2012, the company added.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — UltiMed is offering 50-count pen needles for patients with diabetes, the company announced.

The company said the needles would give diabetes patients a high-quality and cost-effective option for their pen needle supplies. Before, pen needles were dispensed in quantities of 100.

UltiMed said its needles, manufactured in its De Smet, S.D., factory, are the only ones assembled in the United States.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Australian winemaker Daryl Groom and Walgreens have launched a new table wine blend in line with American Heart Month. Colby Red, which was developed in partnership with Treasury Wine Estates, is dedicated to raising awareness for heart disease. The wine is named after Groom’s son, who was born with a hole in his heart and has undergone multiple surgeries to treat the defect.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline has received a license extension in Europe for its popular weight-loss pill Alli.

The drug maker said it plans to sell new chewable tablets this spring, available at pharmacies throughout the United Kingdom.

Alli has been available in the United Kingdom since early 2009.