RALEIGH, N.C. — Kerr Drug vice president of pharmacy and government affairs Mark Gregory has been promoted to senior vice president of store operations. In his new position Gregory and will oversee the company’s district operational teams. “Mark has extraordinary depth of intellect and experience in every facet of community pharmacy, from educational and legislative
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. has tapped former McDonald’s Inc. chief executive officer James Skinner to serve as its new nonexecutive chairman. Skinner, who has served on Walgreens’ board of directors since 2005, succeeds Alan McNally in that post. McNally served as the Walgreens board’s first lead director, beginning in January 2008. He later served
NEW YORK — After credit card companies and some of the nation’s largest banks agreed to pay more than $7 billion to settle a price-fixing case dealing with swipe fees, the future of the deal was put in jeopardy when several retailers objected to the terms of the pact. The settlement must still be approved
WASHINGTON — Trade associations representing thousands of retailers have thrown their support behind proposed federal legislation that would require online merchants and other remote sellers to collect sales tax. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association all say the Marketplace Fairness Act that was
CHICAGO — Walgreen Co. has launched a pilot program that will allow patients to make appointments at some of the retailer’s Take Care Clinics via their smartphones. The iTriage mobile application, available for iPhones and Android phones, is designed to help consumers identify symptoms, learn more about medical conditions and access a nationwide directory of
NEW YORK — Duane Reade, which has purchased 14 electric trucks in a bid to reduce the air and noise pollution associated with store deliveries, is asking its customers where they should be deployed. The new electric vehicles will replace nearly 25% of the retailer’s truck fleet. To determine which stores should be among the
WATERBURY, Conn. — For most of her 62 years, Deborah Klein has lived a relatively comfortable life. She raised two children, held down a career and considered herself a productive member of society. But in 2005, her fortunes began to change. She was laid off from her $80,000-a-year job but managed to find a series
It’s been an interesting summer for chain drug retailing. Here, in no particular order, are the season’s most interesting events: • Walgreens merged — if that’s the appropriate word — with Alliance Boots by acquiring a 45% interest in the world’s leading drug retailer/wholesaler. The word “leading” needs to be explained here. It is not
It has been said that improved medication adherence is the next blockbuster. That insight has motivated pharmacy operators, drug makers and pharmaceutical distributors, among others, to tackle the problem. Recent work by three drug chains — industry leaders CVS Caremark and Walgreens, and Thrifty White, which operates 87 stores in six states in the Midwest
Known variably as sexual health, sexual well-being and family planning, the sexual wellness category is intertwined with social and cultural trends. Although both male and female contraceptives are staples of the product assortment, the continued arrival of more personal intimacy and enhancement items compels the category’s boundaries to evolve. Influencing this evolution is the convenient
DEERFIELD, Ill. — With its $6.7 billion deal to acquire a large stake in Alliance Boots, Walgreen Co. has become the first American drug chain to delve into overseas markets and set in motion what could be dramatic changes for its entire operation. At the same time, the agreement — which will give Walgreens a
NEW YORK — After the Supreme Court’s narrow decision late last month to uphold the bulk of President Obama’s health care reform legislation, advocates for community pharmacies and retailers weighed in with a range of reactions. While many of the groups criticized the high court’s ruling to uphold almost all of the Affordable Care Act
