In this Issue

Walmart in September partnered with HumanaVitality on a program that incentivizes healthier behavior, offering 5% savings on select healthier-for-you products. The program has about 1 million members.

“With [HumanaVitality’s] large population, we’ve got a lot of opportunities to collect data and to understand how this is … changing behaviors of individual shopping experiences,” said Joe Woods, HumanaVitality CEO.

SAN FRANCISCO — Global clothing retailer Uniqlo opened in early October its first flagship store on the West Coast — an architectural gem in San Francisco’s Union Square area that incorporates sleek design and the latest modern technology. 


The ink was barely dry when we received this response to our Oct. 15, 2012, cover story, “Building the ACO.”


Dear Editor,


Walgreens is the newest to jump into the loyalty game. Still, its Balance Rewards managed to sign up 16 million members within just two weeks of its mid-September launch.

In many ways, Balance Rewards represents some of the best thinking in customer loyalty. There’s a better-health incentive linked to the Walk with Walgreens program. There are complementary health offerings tied to participation. It is mobile-enabled and ties into its multichannel strategy. Points don’t expire. And the data from the program will help inform every facet of Walgreens’ business.

Retail pharmacy veteran Frank Scorpiniti officially assumed the role of CEO of Rexall Pharma Plus in February. Now that he’s settled in North of the Border, Scorpiniti talked with Drug Store News about his new role and his insights on the Canadian retail pharmacy market.

DSN: What are your key goals as CEO of Rexall Pharma Plus, and how would you describe your leadership style?

Sales of coconut water continue to soar. According to a recent report from Mintel, the U.S. market for coconut water was around $350 million in 2011, representing 2% of the total fruit juice and drinks sales. The report suggested that coconut water offers growth opportunity in an otherwise maturing fruit juice/drinks market; in all three outlets, coconut water sales grew by 165% to $59 million during 2010-2011.

Drug Store News spoke with Adam Holyk, Walgreens divisional VP loyalty and consumer insights, about the newly created consumer insights team focused on enhancing Walgreens’ engagement with its patients and customers, and how it will help complement Walgreens’ marketing efforts.


DSN: What is the overall vision for the insights team?


For niche brands, getting a foot in the door of mass market retail is no easy feat, and the stakes remain high as retailers have, in recent years, trimmed SKU counts and grown increasingly risk-adverse.