Top Retailers

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — That one of the latest attempts to require prescriptions for cough-cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine appears headed for failure isn't just good news for the retailers that sell those products and the people who need them, it also may encourage those trying to curb the manufacture and use of methamphetamine to focus their efforts on methods that already work, such as the National Precursor Log Exchange, also known as NPLEx, a real-time, industry-funded electronic system that tracks sales of PSE products and is

PROVO, Utah — Pharmacy technician students at an online school will be able to perform externships with a major retail pharmacy chain, under a partnership the two companies announced.

Career Step said it would partner with Walgreens to allow students to work at local Walgreens stores after gaining a solid foundation of pharmacy technician knowledge in the program. Externship will typically consist of 180 practical hours.

NEW YORK — Walgreens on Thursday took its failed negotiations with Express Scripts to Twitter, paying the social media site to promote the hashtag #ILoveWalgreens and setting off a barrage of tweets by tweeting "It's time to take a stand against @ExpressScripts. Tell them people want a choice by tweeting hashtag #ILoveWalgreens."

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is bringing the experience of small, independent shops to the masses with its next design partnership, “The Shops at Target.”

Launching May 6 for a six-week run in all Target stores and online, “The Shops at Target” will provide customers with the feel of visiting some of the world’s most unique boutiques without having to travel beyond their nearest Target store.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Thursday declared a regular quarterly dividend of 22.5 cents per share, a 28.6% increase over the year-ago dividend. The dividend is payable March 12, 2012, to shareholders of record Feb. 17, 2012.

Walgreens has paid a dividend in 317 straight quarters (more than 79 years) and has raised its dividend for 36 consecutive years. Over the last five years, Walgreens' annual dividend rate has increased from 31 cents per share to 90 cents per share, resulting in a compound annual growth rate of 23.8%.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target's board of directors has approved a new $5 billion share repurchase program, which will be implemented upon the completion of the company's current $10 billion program.

Target said while it expects to complete its current program early this year, it expects to complete the new $5 billion authorization in the next two to three years, saying the program "represents an opportunity to apply excess cash flow to what [the company believes] will be an attractive long-term investment."

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark announced on Thursday that the Federal Trade Commission has concluded its investigation into the company’s business practices.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu said it is sticking to its "8 Plays to Win" strategy, a multipronged plan designed to benefit the company and its customers, despite reporting several losses during the third quarter.

The supermarket retailer reported its net sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2012 dropped about 5% to $8.3 billion, compared with nearly $8.7 billion in the year-ago period, and also posted a net loss of $750 million, or $3.54 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $202 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2011.