RETAIL NEWS

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Friday reported net earnings of $353 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, and identical supermarket sales growth, without fuel, of 0.7% in the second quarter of 2017, which ended Aug. 12.

PITTSBURGH — Looking to fill more than 200 full-time positions, CVS Health on Friday announced a job fair here, set to take place in Monroeville, Pa., from 1-6 p.m. on Sept. 14. The positions are at the company’s Pittsburgh and Monroeville customer support inbound call centers.

MINNEAPOLIS — rThe price wars among the nation's leading retailers has taken a new turn just ahead of the critical holiday selling season.

On Friday, Target revealed in a blog post on its website that it had lowered prices on "thousands" of items, from cereal and paper towels to baby formula, razors, bath tissue and more. The discounter said the move would help end shoppers' uncertainty over the timing of discounts on certain products, and make for "more consistent savings."

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The influenza vaccine for the 2017-2018 flu season is now available at all Wegmans Food Markets locations, the grocer announced Thursday.

“By offering the flu vaccination in our pharmacies, we’re making it easy for our customers to protect themselves from the seasonal flu, while also improving immunization rates in the communities we serve,” stated Katie Niles, Wegmans pharmacist and pharmacy clinical wellness services manager.

CHICAGO — IRI earlier this week launched IRI Illness Tracking, a new solution that pinpoints consumers who suffer from cough, cold, influenza and allergy symptoms throughout the year, so that over-the-counter product marketers and retailers can grow sales during the flu season through better planning and activation programs.

BOULDER, Colo. — Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy on Wednesday announced its expansion into the Chicagoland market with the acquisition of Aaron's Apothecary on Clark st. in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Pharmaca also announced the acquisition of Roxbury Pharmacy in Beverly Hills, Calif.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Following last year’s impactful collaboration between Walgreens and the CDC Foundation addressing the Zika outbreak, the two organizations on Wednesday announced they are once again working together to help address another public health challenge — this time HIV prevention.

TORONTO — This Friday Shoppers Drug Mart will kick off its 16th annual "SHOPPERS LOVE. YOU. Growing Women's Health" campaign supporting women's health organizations across Canada.  During the four-week campaign, local Shoppers Drug Mart locations will accept donations from customers with a goal to raise $3.6 million to help fund local women's health charities.