KROGER

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Hungry Jack is bringing its home-style hash browns to major grocery chains nationwide.

New Hungry Jack premium hash brown potatoes, from 100% Idaho potatoes, allow consumers to enjoy hash brown potatoes at home in four steps. Hungry Jack premium hash brown potatoes come fully cooked and seasoned and require no refrigeration, the company said.

Hungry Jack premium hash brown potatoes are available at such retailers as Walmart, H-E-B, Safeway, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Albertsons and Super Target for about $1.79 per carton.

HOUSTON — Sharps Compliance's TakeAway envelope solution is making its way to Kroger and its family of stores.

Kroger, which operates stores under several banners across 31 states, will offer the the medication disposal envelopes at its pharmacy counters. The goal: to offer a safe and environmentally responsible means of disposing unused, expired or unwanted noncontrolled prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Kroger joins such retailers as Rite Aid, which recently implemented Sharps Compliance's TakeAway program in its stores.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens this weekend reported that its customer email database, which is hosted by a third-party vendor, was accessed without permission.

The drug store chain, which uses vendor Epsilon to deploy its email promotional messages, said that law enforcement authorities were notified and are investigating the matter. The company also emphasized that email addresses were the only information obtained in this incident.

CINCINNATI — A database that held the names and email addresses of Kroger customers has been breached, the retailer announced.

The supermarket conglomerate said that the incident occurred at its third-party vendor, Epsilon, which manages Kroger's customer email database and communications.

Kroger apologized to its customers and urged them not to open any messages from senders that they do not know, noting that Kroger would never ask for personal information (i.e., credit card or social security information) via email.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The former head of a now defunct pharmacy chain has died, according to published reports.

Rick Keltsch, who led the Keltsch Bros. pharmacy chain as the company's president and CEO until its merger with Scott's Food & Pharmacy — a regional chain that was a subsidiary of Supervalu before being acquired by Kroger in April 2007 — died unexpectedly on Wednesday. He was 64 years old.

Keltsch is survived by his wife Jennie, children and grandchildren.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The Little Clinic has opened a new location inside Kroger's new Marketplace store in Shelbyville, Tenn., according to a local news report.

The opening marks the 11th clinic in the area.

"Being part of a brand-new Kroger Marketplace allows us to increase accessibility of our services for those who will enjoy the many offerings at this store," Tim Pruitt, divisional VP of The Little Clinic, was quoted as saying.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — An ice cream brand making its U.S. debut is at the forefront of a three-part film series starring actress Rachel Bilson.

Magnum, a 20-year-old Unilever brand, said the films were directed by fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld and are a platform to introduce the premium ice cream products to U.S. consumers. The films, which will debut at the Tribeca Flm Festival, also can be viewed on the brand's Facebook page next month.

CINCINNATI — Kroger's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 10.5 cents per share, the same payout amount as January.

The dividend will be paid June 1 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 16.