When industry observers look back at a given year, all too often they resort to hyperbole, making shaky claims about the long-term significance of events. The year just ended eliminated that pitfall, at least temporarily: 2020 crystallized several issues — the nation’s deep political divide, the quest for racial justice and the need to act
NEW YORK — Entering the second quarter of 2017, the chain drug industry was awaiting answers to a couple of big, lingering questions. First, what will the chain drug landscape look like? A significant change in the field of players is likely in store pending antitrust clearance of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.’s (WBA’s) deal to
ARLINGTON, Va. — One of the many strengths of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores has been its advocacy role in public policy. In the wake of last November’s election and the resulting turmoil and uncertainty in Washington, that expertise takes on greater importance than ever. At the same time, with U.S. health care
New formats are popping up throughout the chain drug industry, as retailers seek to overcome the sales malaise that has ensnared the industry this year. To recapture lost momentum, chain drug retailers are testing new store sizes, new merchandise assortments, new product locations within stores and new store concepts, sometimes all at once. It’s far
The major question in mass retailing this year, as the industry concludes the second month of 2017, is when — and indeed whether — Walgreens Boots Alliance’s acquisition of Rite Aid will be fruitfully concluded. As anyone who really cares knows by now the deadline for finalizing the Walgreens-Rite Aid merger has been extended to
“The times they are a changin’,” Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sang in 1964. It’s as true now as it was 53 years ago, especially for the chain drug industry. With the incoming administration of Donald Trump, all bets are off with health care. The Affordable Care Act appears set for demise, but no one in
The new year is finally here. On balance, 2016 was a year best forgotten. Very few events of a positive nature will be remembered. On the other hand, many unsettling moments would best be reviewed at another time — if at all. As 2017 dawns, several important questions remain to be resolved, a few of
For chain drug industry people, 2016 will be remembered as a year best forgotten — as much for the uncertainty of the future as for the problems of the past. As November ended and December began, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores brought industry leaders together in New York City for NACDS Week in
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chain drug industry upheld its base of pharmacy advocates in Congress despite “one of the most tumultuous election cycles in modern times,” said National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson. In a memo this week to NACDS members, Anderson said the bipartisan NACDS Political Action
In chain drug retailing, the most disappointing product category in 2016 has been beauty care. Indeed, the problem with the beauty care category in chain drug stores is, quite simply, the chain drug store’s inability to generate any significant interest in the category. It performs far more credibly in other mass retailing outlets, and it
NEW YORK — Competition remains fierce in the chain pharmacy industry, albeit with a decreasing number of players. If the pending acquisition of Rite Aid Corp. by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. goes through, the field will diminish dramatically, especially in major metropolitan areas. Depending on the number of stores WBA divests to meet antitrust requirements,
Two months remain in 2016, and the news out of the chain drug industry remains relatively scanty. Industry gatherings are few and far between — indeed, three months have passed since the NACDS Total Store Expo gathered the industry together in Boston. Against that background, the NACDS year-end meetings, scheduled for New York City following
The ranks of the chain drug industry’s giants continue to shrink — and, typically of a business that continues to grow, prosper and change, the tendency is to forget to remember what these icons accomplished. Last month, two executives who were instrumental in building chain drug retailing passed away. They were radically different, yet remarkably
It looks like one divestment possibility for Walgreens Boots Alliance isn’t panning out as it works with the Federal Trade Commission to gain antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Rite Aid. The New York Post reported this week that WBA hasn’t been able to sway private equity firms to buy a chunk of Walgreens and/or
