Content about West Coast

TEMECULA, Calif. — While this season's flu epidemic maintains its strength across the West Coast, one vaccine distributor announced Wednesday they still have vaccine on hand. 

"FFF is prepared to respond to the unpredictable nature of flu season. And our secure supply chain can always be counted on to deliver safe products — even in times of limited supply," stated Patrick Schmidt, CEO FFF Enterprises. "We purchase direct from manufacturers and sell only to licensed hospitals, pharmacies and clinics."

FALLBROOK, Calif. — As tattoos increasingly penetrate mainstream culture, Wrenchers Body Shop has seen an uptick in sales within the body art industry of its Hands Maid and Babied Hands line of botanical skin care launched in early 2012, and now the company is seeking manufacturer representatives to assist in marketing.

ATLANTA — The incidence of influenza continued on an upward trajectory heading into the Christmas holiday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. Nationwide for the week ending Dec. 22, 4.2% of patient visits reported through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network were due to influenza-like illness, above the national baseline of 2.2%. 

It's only fitting that Walgreens placed its 8,000th store opening among the stars of Hollywood. It's not only a stellar achievement in and of itself, but the company's latest flagship store — and the first one on the West Coast — continues to emphasize Walgreens' out-of-this-world approach to drug store retailing.

CHICAGO — Acadia Ales has launched its Sky High Rye, a West Coast-style pale ale, in 12-oz. cans from Rexam.

Sky High Rye, brewed with 80% English barley malt and 20% rye malt, was launched in Rexam aluminum cans because of their portability and accessibility, the company said, adding that "consumers will no longer be limited by the restrictions of a glass container, which ultimately makes Sky High Rye more accessible to [our] loyal fans."

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu on Tuesday named Michael Moore EVP and chief marketing officer. Moore will lead all of the company’s marketing activities, including overseeing customer and brand strategy, advertising, customer loyalty, and research and analytics.

Moore was named to the top marketing post following this week’s decision by Julie Dexter Berg to leave the company and return to the West Coast.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu has announced the sale of 107 fuel centers located in the Midwest, Intermountain West and West Coast regions following the acceptance of four separate bids to purchase the centers. The transactions include the majority of fuel centers within the Albertsons, Cub Foods, Hornbacher’s and Jewel-Osco banners.


When Rite Aid chairman Mary Sammons accepted the Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., in May, it was the culmination of a career that had seen Rite Aid emerge from a period of darkness that had lasted more than a decade.


Sammons plans to stay on as chairman of Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid until the company’s annual meeting in June 2012. But when she does hang up the gloves, she will have a lot to look back on.


NEW YORK — Rumors have been circulating that Walmart may be out to buy Rite Aid, though nothing has been confirmed yet, according to published reports.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Medicine Shoppe is about to get a new top manager. And with the promotion of company veteran John Fiacco to VP of its Medicine Shoppe and Medicap stores, parent company Cardinal Health effectively is changing the culture at its franchise pharmacy division.

(THE NEWS: Cardinal taps Fiacco to succeed Burnside as top exec for Medicine Shoppe, Medicap. For the full story, click here)

NEW YORK Divesting itself of its West Coast store base certainly would place Rite Aid in a much more favorable position with regard to its debt load, merchandising and marketing synergies and supply chain efficiencies. So why not divest?