Top Retailers

Walgreens kicks off its new fiscal with a mixed set of results. Overall sales are strong, aided by the integration of 375 Rite Aid stores and a robust performance from the U.S. retail pharmacy division. This growth was sufficient to make up for the slightly disappointing numbers from the international group, where same-store sales fell by 0.7%. Meanwhile, impairments in investments and an equity loss from earnings in AmerisourceBergen helped pushed down net income by 23%.

As it forges ahead with its proposed acquisition of Aetna, CVS Health on Thursday shared guidance for its 2018, during which it said it expects its operating profit rise between 1% and 4%. For the retail/long-term-care area of the business, the Woonsocket, R.I.-based company said that it expects low single-digit growth, with expected low- to mid-single-digit growth in the pharmacy services segment.

McKesson on Wednesday completed its previously announced acquisition of RxCrossroads. RxCrossroads has become a part of the company’s McKesson Specialty Health business.

According to the wholesaler, the acquisition is expected to enhance McKesson’s existing commercialization solutions for manufacturers of branded, specialty, generic and biosimilar drugs, including comprehensive patient support (“hub”) services, custom pharmacy solutions and third-party logistics, allowing McKesson to grow its end-to-end offerings for manufacturers.

There may have been plenty of cough and cold products in the Christmas stockings of residents in the Lone Star State, as Texas markets continue to top the Walgreens Flu Index list for flu activity, the Deerfield, Ill.-based chain announced Wednesday morning. As many as nine of the top 10 markets exhibiting flu activity were in Texas, though flu incidence may be gaining traction across the nation as gains in flu activity were recorded from San Diego to Lafeyette, La.

Rite Aid Wednesday evening outlined the number of tools the company has on hand in the delivery of low-cost, high-cost health and wellness services as it enters a new era featuring a tighter network of stores and a broad selection of diverse health services.

Kroger on Wednesday announced the expansion of its Simple Truth brand and launch of its largest-ever Our Brands customer sales promotion, featuring savings on thousands of Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic items.

Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based, Dollar General has announced plans to build its 17^th facility in its major distribution network. The company previously built its first center in San Antonio, Texas back in 2014 and celebrated the opening of a second location also within Texas in 2016.

In addition to opening this new location, the company also is looking to create 400 new jobs when at full capacity and serve 1,000 retail locations within Texas and the southeast. The structure itself is expected to be nearly 1,000,000 square feet, the company said.

Private label has become big business for Amazon in 2017 — and momentum continues to grow.

The online giant used 2017 to refine its private-label strategy — a move that helped the company launch over 30 new brand names across highly competitive categories. As a whole, these private-label brands generated roughly $450 million in sales in this year, according to “Amazon Private Brands: Year-End Review,” a study from One Click Retail.