Top Retailers

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is helping to promote Earth Day 2012 with the offer of a 20% discount on select beauty, personal care items and other grocery and household needs on Walgreens.com with the code 20NATURAL now through Sunday.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Once the season starts, nobody really remembers the number of stolen bases nabbed by Gregor Blanco (13) or the number of batters who could neither put a Francisco Liriano pitch into play nor tease out a walk (33). But ask the fans how many balls their favorite player knocked out of the park through spring training, chances are they'll be able to tell you.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Hispanics represent one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States, so naturally, it would behoove retailers to pay heed to this growing trend.

(THE NEWS: Hispanic consumers' buying power to grow 50% by 2015. For the complete story, click here.)

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday donated 375,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Lao PDR health officials have designated the 375,000 doses of donated flu vaccine for people at high risk of flu complications in that country, including pregnant women, seniors and people with such chronic health conditions as heart and lung disease. The Walgreens donation was the result of a longstanding collaboration between the Lao MOH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday named Reuben Slone as SVP supply chain management, where he will have leadership responsibility for distribution, transportation, systems integration and engineering, Lean and Six Sigma supply chain initiatives, and community outreach.

Slone will join Walgreens May 16 and will report to Walgreens president of community management Mark Wagner.

Walgreens’ success with fresh foods has left the retailer hungry for more. In its flagship Chicago store, Walgreens has pumped up its fresh and prepared departments with a fully stocked sushi bar, grab-and-go deli offerings, self-serve yogurt, a juice bar, and fresh baked goods and confections from well-known local sources.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Medicare Part D beneficiaries with cardiovascular conditions who had no financial assistance during the "doughnut hole" coverage gap were 57% more likely to discontinue their cardiovascular medications than those beneficiaries who had consistent drug coverage, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

Electronic cigarettes, sometimes called personal vaporizers, are making their way into the drug channel. As tobacco smoking in public is steadily becoming a thing of the past, smokers are looking for alternatives, and more retail channels are carrying the products.

Rite Aid has begun to carry several models of electronic cigarettes, replacement batteries and replacement cartridges, and is merchandising the products at the checkout near tobacco products.