Top Retailers

WASHINGTON — Several retailers got top scores from a gay-rights organization for their efforts to prevent discrimination against and to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

The Human Rights Campaign released its 2013 Corporate Equality Index, which gives companies ratings of up to 100% based on their policies regarding LGBT employees and also released a buyer's guide for LGBT consumers.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club is offering free health screenings as part of a New Year's promotion, the club retailer said Friday.

The chain will offer free glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index and vision screenings at all of its stores that have pharmacies on Jan. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A shift in the New Year's holiday calendar and the introduction of new generic drugs contributed to a decrease in same-store sales for the month of December at Rite Aid, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway late Wednesday announced that Steve Burd, its long-time chairman and CEO, will retire at the company's annual stockholders meeting on May 14, 2013. Safeway's board will begin a search for a successor, and will consider both internal and external candidates for the job, the grocer stated.  

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — A patient’s social support network has been associated with improved outcomes and healthier behaviors and now new research sponsored by CVS Caremark has found that practical social support is associated with improved medication adherence.

NEW YORK — Weaker than expected December sales at Target will cause fourth quarter profits to come in at the low end of an earlier forecast, the company said.

Sales at Target for the five week period ended December 31, increased 0.8% to $10.2 billion while same store sales were essentially flat, below the company’s guidance which called for an increase in the low single digits. The performance was driven by a low single digit decrease in comparable store transactions, offset by an increase in average transaction size.

NEW YORK — Wall Street on Wednesday celebrated the "fiscal cliff" compromise as stocks across the board were trading up by some 200 basis points. As of noon, the Dow was up 1.7% and Nasdaq 2.3%. 

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — "Dollar Tree has grown steadily for 26 years,” said Bob Sasser, president and CEO of Dollar Tree. That steady growth has led Dollar Tree to expand its Marietta, Okla. distribution center by 400,000 sq. ft., the company announced.

The facility in Marietta opened in 2003 and is currently 603,000 sq. ft. This facility supplies products to our stores across eleven states, including all of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, and portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.