NEW YORK — Drug stores outpaced other mass retailers in December sales, even with modest increases in total and same-store sales for the month. Total drug store sales in December were up 4% compared with the same month last year, according to research by Chain Drug Review publisher Racher Press. Same-store sales increased 1.7%. And
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Through January 23, Rite Aid is celebrating the New Year by offering members in the wellness+ with Plenti program a special opportunity to begin accumulating Plenti points for 2016, in addition to regular weekly offers. Customers can earn 1,000 Plenti points on every $30 spent on featured products in stores or
The new year has begun inauspiciously for chain drug retailing, an industry that is still trying to assess the results of the just completed Christmas selling season. By all accounts, December was a month of no great accomplishments, even if it was not the disaster some observers predicted. Now it’s on to 2016, and the
CAMP HILL, Pa. — The Rite Aid Foundation is making a $2 million donation to The Fred Rogers Company, a nonprofit named after the late children’s television host that specializes in creating kids’ programming for public television. Rite Aid said Friday that the donation, being made through the foundation’s KidCents program, will be used to
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Rite Aid Corp. has begun accepting CareCredit, a health, wellness and personal care credit card, at its more than 4,500 drug stores. CareCredit said Wednesday that the card can be used at Rite Aid for prescriptions, in-store health screenings and clinical services such as immunizations, general merchandise purchases, and out-of-pocket expenses at
SAN FRANCISCO — McKesson Corp. announced a new distribution pact with CVS Health for Target pharmacies in updating its earnings outlook for fiscal 2016 and providing preliminary guidance for fiscal 2017. McKesson said that for the 2016 fiscal year ending March 31, it now projects adjusted earnings per diluted share of $12.60 to $12.90, compared
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) topped Wall Street’s earnings projections for its fiscal 2016 first quarter. WBA said Thursday that for the first quarter ended Nov. 30, 2015, adjusted net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance were $1.13 billion, or $1.03 per diluted share, compared with $749 million, or 78 cents per diluted
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. is offering members of its wellness+ with Plenti loyalty program an extra reward to start off the new year. The drug chain said that through Jan. 23, customers can earn 1,000 Plenti points on every $30 spent on participating products in stores or online at RiteAid.com. Participating products
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. is widening the scope of health and wellness retailing. The drug chain’s recent addition of pharmacy benefit manager Envision Rx — plus the 2014 acquisitions of in-store clinic operator RediClinic and health coaching/analytics firm Health Dialog — bring its traditional pharmacy services into the bigger realm of retail
For 2015, the editors of Chain Drug Review have chosen to give the publication’s annual Retailer of the Year honors to two chain drug retail industry leaders: Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., and the management team at Rite Aid Corp., led by chairman and CEO John Standley. Pessina’s
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. stockholders will vote next month on the company’s merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). Rite Aid has scheduled a February 4 special stockholders meeting for the balloting. Stockholders as of the close of business on December 18 will be eligible to vote. Rite Aid and WBA also announced
In many significant ways, the chain drug store business looks very different at the start of 2016 than it did a year ago. Walgreens Boots Alliance, which emerged from a two-step merger process at the close of 2014, spent the past 12 months rationalizing operations in the United States and developing synergies with its retail
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. posted flat retail pharmacy sales results for December, despite an uptick in same-store sales at the front end. The drug chain said Thursday that for the four weeks ended Dec. 26, same-store sales dipped 0.1% year over year. That compared with comparable-store sales growth of 0.9% in November.
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Inc. has completed $12.8 billion in term loan facilities as part of the financing for its $17.2 billion deal to acquire Rite Aid Corp. WBA said Monday that the transactions include the placement of $5 billion of term loan facilities — split between two tranches of $2.5 billion
