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NEW YORK — A recent consumer survey released by AlixPartners found that a little more than half of all consumers (51%) identify a traditional grocery retailer as their point of destination when making a grocery trip. Such mass merchants as Walmart are capturing 30% of those trips, and the continued emphasis on fresh in the drug channel has drawn 5% of those trips into the mainstream pharmacy.

Dollar stores, another channel that has in the past few years made a significant push into food items, also draws 5% of all grocery trips.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Pharmacist Edward Spearbeck, 78, passed on Aug. 14, according to a report in the Washington Post published Thursday.

ST. LOUIS — Save-A-Lot, the hard-discount, limited-assortment grocery chain owned by Supervalu, on Tuesday dispatched two "brand ambassadors" on the Save-A-Lot Fuel Your Family Road Trip. The "Road Scholars" will make pitstops at Save-A-Lot locations in 10 cities between Aug. 7 and Aug. 28 to help raise awareness that Save-A-Lot can be the go-to source for affordable, high-quality food.

YONKERS, N.Y. — Consumer Reports announced that its index, which measures overall consumer sentiment, fell to its lowest level since December 2009 and registered its sharpest drop in two years, as recent events in Washington about the debt ceiling debate fixed attention on the weak economy.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute on Wednesday named Heather Garlich as the association’s director of media and public relations. She will be responsible for managing communications outreach and information activities related to FMI’s strategic goals, including government relations, food safety, conferences and events, and industry relations.

NEW YORK — A drug designed to boost high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels also may improve blood-sugar control for diabetics, according to a new analysis of a discontinued study.

Australian researchers found that torcetrapib, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, could improve HDL or "good" cholesterol levels while improving blood-sugar control among diabetics.

NEW YORK — Nicole by OPI is launching for the holiday season Kardashian Kolors, a line of nail lacquer shades inspired by the Kardashians.

"We are so excited to work with everyone's favorite TV family, ­ the Kardashians, ­ to share a diverse collection of fashion-forward shades," stated Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI EVP and artistic director. "With lacquers ranging from high-shine and sparkly hues to neutral taupe and pinkish coral, Kardashian Kolors offers the perfect accessory for every woman, from teens to moms and everyone in between."

SAN DIEGO — MediShield was selected as a winner of the 11th Annual New York Venture Summit Top Innovator award last month by YoungStartup Ventures. The award recognizes privately held companies from across the United States that play a leading role in innovation.

MediShield was recognized for its CastShield line, which offers waterproof protection for casts, bandages, prosthetics and vascular compression products. CastShield is meeting a significant consumer demand, the company noted.

ATLANTA — Former Unilever executive Michael Polk has been appointed president and CEO of Newell Rubbermaid, effective July 18. He succeeds Mark Ketchum, who is retiring but will remain a director until May 2012.

Ketchum announced in January his intention to retire after being recruited from the board five years ago to lead Newell Rubbermaid through its transformation into a marketing-driven company.

NEW YORK — The booming healthcare market, which is expected to reach 19.6% of gross domestic product by 2019, is driving a surge of activity from companies looking to develop new products and services to bolster profits and create more convenient patient care, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. 


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.

ATLANTA — Former Walmart executive Charles Leehan has taken on a new role at a self-service kiosks provider.

Leehan will serve as director of national accounts for SoloHealth, reporting to Rick Voight, the company's VP channel development. In this capacity, he will oversee and manage relationships across national accounts to ensure SoloHealth’s partners receive the best possible service and individualized attention from the SoloHealth team.