Top Retailers

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is projecting that 2012 will be a good year for the retailer.

The company said ahead of an investor conference held Tuesday that it forecasts earnings per share will be in the range of $1.90 to $2.10 per diluted share. This compared with net income of $1.49 per diluted share in fiscal 2011, due to a tax charge 29 cents per diluted share. Excluding the charge, diluted earnings per share would have been $1.78 in fiscal 2011.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Higher front-end sales for the month of February helped counter-balance lost revenue from Express Scripts prescriptions, Walgreeens reported Monday. Overall, the drug store chain reported a 1.5% sales increase to $5.9 billion.

Shares of Walgreens were up slightly by 8 cents to $32.77 in early morning trading.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A Rite Aid category manager has won a top award from a trade association representing candy makers.

Rite Aid said Monday that Val Stansfield had received the 2012 Confectionary Leadership Award from the National Confectioners Association. The award is given to people who demonstrate "exemplary leadership behaviors in business planning and collaboration," the company said. Stansfield was 1-of-3 recipients at the NCA's State of the Industry Conference last week in Miami.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has announced that its EVP and chief medical officer Troyen Brennan has been named to the National Commission on Physician Payment Reform, an independent commission that will assess how physicians are paid, and how pay incentives are linked to patient care.

LAS VEGAS — Walgreens last week outlined how the company's research has demonstrated the ability of face-to-face pharmacy and Take Care Clinic programs to drive better health outcomes at the IMS Managed Markets Services/Data Niche Conference held here.

Some of the savings advantages inherent in the offerings provided by Walgreens include:

CAMP HILL, Pa. — In the wake of tornadoes that hit communities in Kentucky on Friday, retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid has donated to a local Red Cross chapter to assist victims.

The company said Sunday that the Rite Aid Foundation, its philanthropic arm, had donated $15,000 to the Bluegrass chapter of the American Red Cross. The foundation also will provide supplies and items to assist with disaster relief efforts. Eli Lilly Foundation also pledged to donate $100,000 to the Red Cross.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy is looking to help pharmacy customers on their path to better health through improved medication adherence as guidance gained from the company’s extensive health policy research points to the importance of a single “pharmacy home.”

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The highest circulation of any health magazine in America. That's a major commitment when you think how hard consumer magazines have been hit in recent years.

(THE NEWS: Sam's Club launches wellness magazine for members. For the full story, click here)