COSTCO

NEW YORK — A recent poll of U.S. millennial, gen X and Baby Boomer consumers found that traditional retail categories are increasingly blurring, and more and more shoppers are turning to drug stores to buy groceries.

Retail design firm King Retail Solutions conducted the fall 2013 study among more than 1,200 consumers.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Acosta Sales & Marketing, a sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, has signed an agreement to acquire Anderson Daymon Worldwide, the sales and marketing agency that exclusively serves Costco Wholesale.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco on Thursday reported net sales of $8 billion for the four weeks ended Feb. 2, representing an increase of 6% percent from the similar four-week period last year. 

Comparable store sales across Costco's U.S. store base were up 5%.

For the 22 weeks ended Feb. 2, Costco reported net sales of $46.3 billion, representing a similar increase of 6% vs. the year-ago period. 

WASHINGTON — A call to make 2014 a year of action and for the government to work on behalf of Americans was the underlying theme of President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

During his remarks, Obama touched upon a string of topics ranging from immigration reform, to education, to job creation. He also called for the raising of minimum wage and urged businesses to do what they can to raise employees’ wages, citing Costco as an example.

WASHINGTON — Following his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama is scheduled to stop by a Costco store in Maryland on Wednesday, according to news reports.

During his stop at the Costco in Lanham, which is located about 15 miles from the White House, Obama is expected to deliver remarks on the economy, the USA Today reported.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp.'s sales increased by 6% in the month of December and the first few days of January compared with December 2012, the club retailer said Thursday.

The Issaquah, Wash.-based company reported sales of $11.53 billion during the five weeks that ended Sunday, compared with $10.87 billion during the same period last year. Comps increased by 5% at the company's U.S. stores.

NEW YORK — The semi-retired CEO of Costco Wholesale has been named as the recipient of the top award from the National Retail Federation at the trade group's upcoming trade show this month, the NRF said Wednesday.

Jim Sinegal, who stepped down as president CEO of the Issaquah, Wash.-based club retailer in 2012, after 29 years, but still plays an active role in the company and is a member of its board of directors, is scheduled to accept the NRF's Gold Medal Award for 2014 at Retail's BIG Show, which takes place from Jan. 12-15 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — A national gay-rights organization has given Walgreens top marks for its practices related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

In its 2014 Corporate Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave the Deerfield, Ill.-based retail pharmacy chain a "perfect" score of 100. 2014 is the ninth year that Walgreens has won a perfect score.