Attitudes: Retailers

ATLANTA — While flu activity declined slightly from the week prior, incidence of influenza-like illness rates remained above the national baseline for the week ended Feb. 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. 

Six states were still experiencing high ILI activity, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

NEW YORK — Credit Suisse on Tuesday speculated that Safeway may be considering either a sale or acquisition. 

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Rainbow Light recently released the results of a study conducted by Wiest & Co. that demonstrates that product labels are more important in influencing vitamin and supplement consumer purchases than previously thought. 

PLANO, Texas — The Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute recently released its Specialty Drug Benefit Report, sponsored by Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy. The 2014 edition highlights trends important to specialty pharmacy, including emerging cost-control strategies and challenges affecting benefit design and patient care. 

Nail color remains very much alive, despite rumblings that it has lost its luster.

(For the full category review, including sales data, click here.)

NEW YORK — How retailers are investing in and addressing sustainability and how manufacturers are adjusting is the focus of a new video report on PLMALive.

Looking to address sustainability, retailers have generally been developing programs aimed at four different categories: products and supply chains, recycle and waste management, energy improvement, and design and construction.
    

Whether it is rose hip seed oil, Argan oil, jojoba oil, olive oil or Kukui oil, incorporating oil into a skin care regimen is the buzz, and it is likely that the segment will gain even greater attention during 2014.

(For the full category review, including sales data, click here.)