RETAIL NEWS

It is nothing short of obvious that without the membership there would be no NACDS. Yet a related concept that is more intriguing — and hopefully more inspiring — is that NACDS would not be as great as it is without the membership.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — By their very existence, retail clinics could threaten and/or complement at least six parts of the healthcare system, according to a report from Kalorama Information published Thursday, which placed the number of retail clinics at 2,200 across the U.S. According to the report, the oftentimes one-person operations have had a direct impact on hospitals, doctor's offices, government and private insurance payers, vaccine companies, in vitro diagnostic companies and healthcare IT companies.  

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Pharmacy announced it will remove parabens, phthalates and the most prevalent formaldehyde donors across nearly 600 beauty and personal care products from its store brand CVS Health, Beauty 360, Essence of Beauty, and Blade product lines. The Promise Organic line of store brand products also does not contain any of these ingredients, the company added.

CVS Pharmacy will stop shipping store brand products that don’t meet these standards to distribution centers by the end of 2019. 

NEW YORK — CVS Health on April 19 officially debuted a new store design to enhance the retail customer experience with a new assortment of healthier food, health-focused products and expanded beauty selections, paired with informational signage throughout the store to help customers discover new offerings. 

The company’s front of store today will clearly not be its front of store tomorrow. According to CVS, combined with its innovative digital programs, these changes represent the “next evolution of the customer experience at CVS Pharmacy.”

TORONTO — Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart are taking a big step for employees using medical marijuana, Toronto’s “Breakfast Television” is reporting. The company is set to cover up to $1,500 in expenses related to medical marijuana, the report said, making 45,000 employees eligible.

Health and beauty care marketing needs to emphasize values. Disease prevention efforts need more emphasis. Holistic health is an opportunity waiting to be embraced. Those are just three of the ideas spotlighted at a senior leadership meeting for the supermarket industry, the Food Marketing Institute’s Midwinter Executive Conference.

KEASBEY, N.J. — ShopRite is encouraging consumers to get involved in Earth Day by bringing back its “Earth Day Challenge” this year. The supermarket retailer is providing complimentary cleanup kits — including essentials like gloves and garbage bags — to volunteers interested in beautifying their communities.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Shoppers Drug Mart will be unveiling its first Enhanced Convenience Food section here on April 22, the company announced Wednesday.  Aiming to provide customers with an experience that combines convenience with quality foods, the improved offering includes approximately 750 new fresh items.