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January 24, 2012
Sam's Club expands Simply Right with vitamin line

Sam's Club has expanded its Simply Right brand to include a line of quality and affordable vitamins, the retailer announced.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club has expanded its Simply Right brand to include a line of quality and affordable vitamins, the retailer announced.

Sam's Club said its brand, which replaces its Member's Mark line, features refined packaging and vitamins that are formulated to deliver the same benefits in a smaller pill, making it ideal for members and families who have difficulty swallowing pills, Sam's Club said. The line includes triple strength fish oil, Co Q-10 softgels, glucosamine HCl and vitamin D3.

January 23, 2012
Six pharmacy retailers recognized for diversity business opportunities

Walmart ranked No. 1 out of six retail pharmacy operators who were identified as part of the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" by DiversityBusiness.com last week. Other pharmacy retailers on the list included, in order, Kroger, Supervalu, Target, Walgreens and Ahold USA.

SOUTHPORT, Conn. — Walmart ranked No. 1 out of six retail pharmacy operators who were identified as part of the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" by DiversityBusiness.com last week. Other pharmacy retailers on the list included, in order, Kroger, Supervalu, Target, Walgreens and Ahold USA.

January 20, 2012
Cornell departs Sam's Club, Brewer becomes CEO

In an unexpected turn of events, Brian Cornell is stepping down as Sam’s Club president and CEO and will be replaced by Rosalind Brewer, who currently serves as president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In an unexpected turn of events, Brian Cornell is stepping down as Sam’s Club president and CEO and will be replaced by Rosalind Brewer, who currently serves as president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit. The company announced a number of other senior personnel changes as well in advance of the new fiscal year.

In a statement, Walmart said Cornell, 52, recently informed the company that he and his wife would like to move back to the Northeast for family reasons. His departure comes as Sam’s has experienced strong sales growth.

January 20, 2012
Sam's Club set to open new Baton Rouge store

Sam's Club is set to open its newly relocated store in Baton Rouge, La., on Jan. 26.

BATON ROUGE, La. — Sam's Club is set to open its newly relocated store in Baton Rouge, La., on Jan. 26.

The 134,000-sq.-ft. club, located at 9598 Cortana Place near the junction with Airline Highway, now will be part of the Cortana Mall shopping area, approximately one mile south of its former location. The club also features environmentally friendly materials and LED energy-efficient fixtures.

To celebrate the grand opening, the store will host a Louisiana-pride themed ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. on Jan. 26.

January 19, 2012
Walmart kicks off 'Get on the Shelf' contest

Looking to put America's inventors front and center by uncovering the next great product, Walmart and @WalmartLabs have kicked off the "Get on the Shelf" contest.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Looking to put America's inventors front and center by uncovering the next great product, Walmart and @WalmartLabs have kicked off the "Get on the Shelf" contest.

January 17, 2012
Walmart adds latest piece to e-commerce puzzle

Walmart has named a replacement for Eduardo Castro-Wright, who announced his pending retirement in September. The company announced that Neil Ashe is the new president and CEO of the company's global e-commerce business, effective Jan. 16. Castro-Wright will assist in the transition.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Walmart has named a replacement for Eduardo Castro-Wright, who announced his pending retirement in September. The company announced that Neil Ashe is the new president and CEO of the company's global e-commerce business, effective Jan. 16. Castro-Wright will assist in the transition.

Ashe is replacing Eduardo Castro-Wright who announced his pending retirement in September and will assist in the transition.

January 9, 2012
Walmart preps for tax season

Walmart announced that it is helping customers prepare for tax season by offering low-cost tax preparation services and free in-store federal form 1040EZ filing. The retailer also will provide $3 and $6 check-cashing services.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that it is helping customers prepare for tax season by offering low-cost tax preparation services and free in-store federal form 1040EZ filing. The retailer also will provide $3 and $6 check-cashing services.

"We believe Americans shouldn't have to pay exorbitant prices on their everyday financial needs," almart Financial Services VP Daniel Eckert said. "It's their money and we want to make sure they can cash checks, pay bills and transfer money at a low price."

January 4, 2012
Report: Retail utilization of FSI promotional vehicle up; overall FSI utilization down

Despite an overall decrease in free standing insert coupon activity, retailer promotion pages within the FSI vehicles recorded a 30.7% increase to more than 17 billion pages in 2011, continuing the significant annual increases in retailer promotion activity, which began in 2007, Kantar Media reported Wednesday.

MINNEAPOLIS — Despite an overall decrease in free standing insert coupon activity, retailer promotion pages within the FSI vehicles recorded a 30.7% increase to more than 17 billion pages in 2011, continuing the significant annual increases in retailer promotion activity, which began in 2007, Kantar Media reported Wednesday.

Overall, the number of free-standing insert coupons distributed through 2011 dropped 6.5% compared with 2010. This decline in FSI coupon activity followed two consecutive years of annual increases of 8% in 2009 and 7.2% in 2010.

January 4, 2012
Walmart vet Ron Loveless joins U.S. Preventive Medicine

U.S. Preventive Medicine on Wednesday named Ronald Loveless its vice chairman.

DALLAS — U.S. Preventive Medicine on Wednesday named Ronald Loveless its vice chairman. Loveless will serve alongside vice chairman Ron Loeppke, who joined the company in 2008 to direct product innovation, research and clinical standards at the company.

Loveless, a Walmart retiree and first CEO of Sam's Club, will play a key role in guiding the growth of U.S. Preventive Medicine in the United States, as well as international markets, the company stated.

January 3, 2012
Mead Johnson retests Enfamil batch and affirms no contamination

Mead Johnson Nutrition over the holidays conducted a new round of testing on samples of a batch of Enfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula related to a Food and Drug Administration investigation.

GLENVIEW, Ill. — Mead Johnson Nutrition over the holidays conducted a new round of testing on samples of a batch of Enfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula related to a Food and Drug Administration investigation.

Drawn from samples parallel to those being tested by public health officials and following the same methodology, the new testing did not detect any presence of Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii), the company stated.

December 29, 2011
Sam's Club unveils New Year's resolutions-based health screenings program

To help its members keep their New Year's resolutions, including weight loss, eating better and quitting smoking, Sam's Club will offer a variety of free in-club health screenings and smoking-cessation consultations.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — To help its members keep their New Year's resolutions, including weight loss, eating better and quitting smoking, Sam's Club will offer a variety of free in-club health screenings and smoking-cessation consultations.

December 23, 2011
12 for 2012

Rather than take off for Christmas, the editors of Drug Store News took a look at the year ahead and the stories, issues and trends that will make headlines in retail pharmacy in 2012.

Rather than take off for Christmas, the editors of Drug Store News took a look at the year ahead and the stories, issues and trends that will make headlines in retail pharmacy in 2012.

December 23, 2011
Retailers pull infant formula off shelves ahead of any possible recall

So far two retailers — Supervalu and Walmart — have pulled lots of Emfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula before any recall has been issued after learning of an infant's death this past weekend, according to published reports.

GLENVIEW, Ill. — So far two retailers — Supervalu and Walmart — have pulled lots of Emfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula before any recall has been issued after learning of an infant's death this past weekend, according to published reports.

December 6, 2011
Sam's Club, Salvation Army help deserving families through annual campaign

Sam's Club announced that it is teaming up with the Salvation Army and Off the Field professional football players' wives association for the fifth annual Dream Drive for the Salvation Army.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club announced that it is teaming up with the Salvation Army and Off the Field professional football players' wives association for the fifth annual Dream Drive for the Salvation Army.

Twenty pre-selected families from the Salvation Army Adopt-A-Family program in 10 different cities will receive $1,000 worth of gifts, including food, clothes, personal items and toys from Sam's Club. As part of the Dream Drive campaign, Off the Field representatives will be shopping at their local Sam's Clubs on Dec. 8 to purchase items for these families.

December 5, 2011
Game change? 




It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It’s that kind of Dickensian double-speak that personifies the tone of the holiday forecasts this year — forecasts that have really been all over the board.



It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It’s that kind of Dickensian double-speak that personifies the tone of the holiday forecasts this year — forecasts that have really been all over the board.

December 5, 2011
Higher healthcare calling motivates

Senior Walmart executives regularly invoke the name of Sam Walton when it serves to reinforce a point regarding the company’s business model or the cultural principles on which Walton is said to have founded the company.

Senior Walmart executives regularly invoke the name of Sam Walton when it serves to reinforce a point regarding the company’s business model or the cultural principles on which Walton is said to have founded the company. Dr. John Agwunobi, president of health and wellness for Walmart U.S., took the practice a step further recently when he participated in a panel presentation with other top executives at a conference put on by the Center for Retailing Excellence at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business.


December 5, 2011
On the brink of Clinics 2.0

Since the inception of retail-based health clinics in 2000, the concept has grown to more than 1,300 locations throughout the United States. The real question now: Are we on the brink of clinics version 2.0?


Since the inception of retail-based health clinics in 2000, the concept has grown to more than 1,300 locations throughout the United States and, in more recent months, has celebrated several significant milestones that prove clinics are not only an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system but also are a viable model for retailers when handled correctly. The real question now: Are we on the brink of clinics version 2.0?


December 5, 2011
Screenings drive awareness

Sam’s Club has been on a roll the past few years, and an emphasis on health-and-wellness categories has figured prominently into the warehouse club operator’s improved performance.


Sam’s Club has been on a roll the past few years, and an emphasis on health-and-wellness categories has figured prominently into the warehouse club operator’s improved performance.


December 5, 2011
Small formats promise easy access

Walmart’s first small-format Express stores have only been open about six months, but strong initial consumer acceptance, coupled with increasingly flexible real estate, points to the near certainty of an eventual rollout.


Walmart’s first small-format Express stores have only been open about six months, but strong initial consumer acceptance, coupled with increasingly flexible real estate, points to the near certainty of an eventual rollout.


The stores range between 10,000 and 15,000 sq. ft., offer about 13,000 products and were developed so Walmart could tap potential growth opportunities in rural and urban markets. Walmart expects to end its current fiscal year in late January 2012 with 11 Walmart Express stores following the opening of the first units in northwest Arkansas.


December 5, 2011
Suppliers’ views on working with Walmart

Optimism, skepticism, confidence and concern were among the range of emotions shared by Walmart suppliers who participated in the second annual Walmart Supplier Survey conducted by Drug Store News’ sister publication Connecting Northwest Arkansas.


Optimism, skepticism, confidence and concern were among the range of emotions shared by Walmart suppliers who participated in the second annual Walmart Supplier Survey conducted by Drug Store News’ sister publication Connecting Northwest Arkansas.


(To view the full results of the Walmart Supplier Survey, click here.)

December 2, 2011
ABC's 'Nightline' shadows three meth busts

ABC's "Nightline: Late Evening News" on Wednesday aired an exposé on Kentucky's methamphetamine problem, shadowing law enforcement as they made three arrests in a state that employs an electronic tracking system for the over-the-counter ingredient pseudoephedrine. The officers investigated sales made at Walgreens, CVS and Walmart.

NEW YORK — ABC's "Nightline: Late Evening News" on Wednesday aired an exposé on Kentucky's methamphetamine problem, shadowing law enforcement as they made three arrests in a state that employs an electronic tracking system for the over-the-counter ingredient pseudoephedrine. The officers investigated sales made at Walgreens, CVS and Walmart.

December 1, 2011
@WalmartLabs' Shopycat seeks to bridge gap between social media, shopping

Walmart is looking to help holiday shoppers find the perfect gift this season with the launch of a new social shopping application.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Walmart is looking to help holiday shoppers find the perfect gift this season with the launch of a new social shopping application.

November 16, 2011
Sam's Club donates $1 million to help end child hunger

Sam's Club announced that it will donate $1 million to support child hunger programs through Feeding America as part of its Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event, which will be held from Nov. 18 to 20.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club announced that it will donate $1 million to support child hunger programs through Feeding America as part of its Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event, which will be held from Nov. 18 to 20.

November 15, 2011
Walmart turns the comps corner as holidays arrive

Walmart delivered a long-awaited same-store sales increase of 1.3% at its U.S. stores division in the third quarter and pointed to ongoing momentum for the holidays with comps guidance ranging from flat to up 2%.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart delivered a long-awaited same-store sales increase of 1.3% at its U.S. stores division in the third quarter and pointed to ongoing momentum for the holidays with comps guidance ranging from flat to up 2%.

November 14, 2011
Sam's Club reveals Black Friday deals

Sam's Club has revealed 60 featured deals for its annual, members-only Day After Thanksgiving Event (D.A.T.E.).

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club has revealed 60 featured deals for its annual, members-only Day After Thanksgiving Event (D.A.T.E.).

The event will take place at all Sam's Club locations nationwide at 5 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 25.

Members who participate in the event will be able to enjoy complimentary breakfast from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. In addition, shoppers who join Sam's Club or upgrade to Plus Membership while in-club through the weekend will receive a $20 gift card.