RETAIL NEWS

ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo is around the corner and the organization will be bringing back its popular “Vision” pavilion at the exhibit hall in San Diego this year. The Vision 2028 pavilion, curated by retail and consumer goods accelerator XRC Labs, will explore the future of retail and pharmacy through interactive technology demos and dialogue with industry experts.

You may have seen the news this week about an interim report of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The Commission — chaired by Governor Chris Christie — included among its initial recommendations one that it describes as “first and most urgent”: declaring a national emergency on this issue.

ST LOUIS — Ingestible beauty brand ZSS’ supplements are getting a wide launch. The brand announced this week that it had partnered with GNC to carry its Clear Skin and Radiant Skin targeted supplements starting in October.

The Clear Skin products focus on blemishes and skin sensitivity, while the Radiant Skin supplements are formulated to fight signs of aging and environmental stressors, the company said. The products are all free of parabens, carcinogens, hormone disruptors and PEGS.

DALLAS — Despite retailers’ efforts to deliver sophisticated shopping experiences, crucial gaps between digital and in-store touchpoints still exist.

That's according to “The State of Omnichannel Commerce: A Mystery Shopping Study.” The report, from Kibo, assessed the personalization and omnichannel sophistication across 30 popular and growing retailers’ desktop, mobile and in-store buying touchpoints.

MEMPSHIS, Tenn. — Fred’s on Thursday reported its July sales, as well as initial results from its fiscal second quarter, which included the best comparable-store sales the company has reported in the past four quarters. The company’s Q2 sales decreased 4.2% to $507.4 million, while comparable-store sales decreased 0.3%, compared with a 2% decrease in Q2 2016.

MINNEAPOLIS — Today, more than 75% of Target’s own brand kids’ snacks — from Simply Balanced fruit snacks and granola bars to Market Pantry fruit squeezers — are already free of artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners and colors, as well as artificial trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corp. turned in a winning performance in July, fueled by strong traffic trends.

The company reported that its net sales in July rose 8.8% to $9.41 billion, compared with $8.65 billion during the similar period last year. Total company same-store sales rose 6.2%, with a 6.0% increase in the United States. Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, total same-store sales rose 5.3%, and 5.5% in the U.S.