Consumables

NEW YORK — CVS Health on April 19 officially debuted a new store design to enhance the retail customer experience with a new assortment of healthier food, health-focused products and expanded beauty selections, paired with informational signage throughout the store to help customers discover new offerings. 

The company’s front of store today will clearly not be its front of store tomorrow. According to CVS, combined with its innovative digital programs, these changes represent the “next evolution of the customer experience at CVS Pharmacy.”

NEW YORK — CVS Pharmacy continues to make a concerted effort to transform its stores, with the goal of fostering a better customer experience.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Shoppers Drug Mart will be unveiling its first Enhanced Convenience Food section here on April 22, the company announced Wednesday.  Aiming to provide customers with an experience that combines convenience with quality foods, the improved offering includes approximately 750 new fresh items.

WASHINGTON — The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation on Tuesday released new data showing the 11 food and beverage companies participating in the Commitment to Healthy Communities program invested more than $30 million in community-based health-and-wellness initiatives that reached more than 11 million Americans in 2016.  The CHC data was reviewed and confirmed by the City University of New York School of Public Health.

One of the biggest trends in food and beverage in the past several years has been in better-for-you offerings — something that’s expected to continue to influence new products as consumers remain focused on what’s in their favorite snacks and beverages. When IRI published its 2017 New Product Pacesetters report in early April, the firm noted that one of the drivers of category growth has been healthier innovation. Of IRI’s 100 New Product Pacesetters in the food and beverage category, 47 of them featured healthier-for-you-attributes.

ATLANTA — With summer fast-approaching, Coca-Cola is bringing back its “Share a Coke” program under a new name — “Share an Ice Cold Coke.” For the first time this year, the campaign, which put names on the labels of Coca-Cola products, will see labels with last names on 20-oz. soda bottles.

This year, the program also will include names on Coca-Cola Life and Cherry Coke.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the company announced its first-quarter financial results, Snyder’s-Lance on Monday announced that its CEO had retired. Carl Lee, Jr., leaves the company after 12 years with Snyder’s-Lance, and director Brian Driscoll — who was formerly president and CEO of Diamond Foods — will be serving as CEO in the interim as the company undertakes a national search for a permanent replacement.

PLANO, Texas — Crossmark Canada on Monday named Mark Ayer SVP customer development, a 28-year veteran of Canadian food and beverage retailing.