COSTCO

NEW YORK — The entire retail store is a diabetes destination, and pharmacists are critical in educating and communicating with consumers to help them and their loved ones better manage the chronic disease. That was one of several important messages that industry leaders expressed during Drug Store News’ 8th Annual Diabetes Roundtable discussion on Tuesday in New York at the New York Athletic Club. More than 100 leading industry players gathered for the event, which also included the 12th Annual Industry Issues Summit in the afternoon.

NEW YORK — Costco customers walking past this Living Essentials 5-Hour Energy pallet aren't likely to know what 2:30 in the afternoon feels like, and neither should Costco.

Energy shot sales projections are expected to nearly double in the coming year, even while consumers continue to be cautious around spending. According to Consumer Edge Research projections, overall food/drug/mass sales could crest to some $700 million, excluding Walmart.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — A brand of cheese sold at Costco stores has been linked to E. coli infections in five states, the mass merchandise chain, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday.

SEATTLE — A ballot initiative in Washington to deregulate liquor sales has failed, while another appears to be headed in the same direction, according to published reports.

The Seattle Times reported Wednesday that Initiative-1105, which would abolish state liquor taxes and require retailers to buy liquor from distributors, failed with less than 37% of the vote. A second initiative, I-1100, which mass merchandiser Costco had strongly promoted, had around 48% of the vote with more than half the votes counted, according to the Times.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco had a big pickup in sales during fourth quarter 2010 and the fiscal year as a whole, according to an earnings report released Wednesday.

The membership-based mass-merchandise retailer reported fourth-quarter sales of $23.59 billion, an 8% increase over $21.89 billion in last year's fourth quarter. Sales for the entire fiscal year were $76.25 billion, a 9% increase over $69.89 billion in fiscal year 2009.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Club-based mass merchandiser Costco had a slight increase in sales last month, compared with the same period last year.

Costco said Thursday that sales for July were $5.86 billion, an 8% increase over the $5.42 billion in sales it had in July 2009.

Sales for the 48-week period ending Sunday were $70.37 billion, compared with $64.44 billion during the same period last year.

NEW YORK — Costco was scheduled to open another store in New York on Thursday at the Rego Park shopping center in Queens.

The store is the warehouse chain’s fifth location in the city and features such amenities as a pharmacy and a photo-processing department, according to published reports.

The chain operates another store in Queens, one in Brooklyn, one in Staten Island and one in Manhattan, which opened late last year in Spanish Harlem and showcases a scaled-down format.