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PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway's board of directors announced a 21% increase in its quarterly dividend.

The retailer's cash dividend rose to 14.5 cents per share and will be payable on July 14 to stockholders of record on June 23.

Safeway operates 1,692 stores in the United States and western Canada.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — To say that the impact of high prices at the pump this year is not as bad as it was in 2008 may be a testament to just how bad it was in 2008. As long as the price-per-gallon hovers above or below that magical $4, it’s still plenty bad, and there still are plenty of people who are changing shopping behaviors because of it.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The Louisiana State Senate has given the green light to legislation that would expand pharmacy's ability to administer immunizations, and now the House of Representatives is slated to vote on the legislation in the coming days. The passage of SB 60 is important because expanding the pharmacist's ability to administer vaccinations is a relatively low-cost way to expand access and ultimately improve outcomes.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart parent company Sears Holdings reported a first-quarter net loss of $170 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, in line with the company's expectations for a net loss in the range of $145 million to $195 million, or between $1.35 and $1.81 per diluted share.

The company reported 2010 net income of $16 million, or 14 cents per diluted share.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic division has announced a clinical collaboration with northern Virginia healthcare provider Inova Health System to enhance healthcare services provided in communities throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Inova operates a network of hospitals, outpatient services and healthcare centers that includes Inova Alexandria, Inova Fairfax, Inova Fair Oaks, Inova Loudoun and Inova Mount Vernon hospitals, and Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway and its charitable arm, the Safeway Foundation, announced that its fundraising efforts to benefit such organizations as Easter Seals, Special Olympics and others garnered $10.4 million.

MINNEAPOLIS — First-quarter sales at Target increased 2.8% to $15.6 billion, and same-store sales increased 2%, the company reported.

The modest sales growth translated into earnings per share that advance 9.8% to 99 cents, 4 cents better than analysts’ consensus estimate of 95 cents, and net income that increased 2.7% to $689 million. Share repurchase activity contributed to the earnings-per-share growth as Target spent $819 million during the first quarter to buy back 15.4 million shares at an average price of $53.32.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy is helping its shoppers save money on gas this summer with a new program that enables customers to earn free gas by purchasing select items at its stores nationwide.

With gas prices reaching $4 per gallon nationally, CVS/pharmacy is offering members of its ExtraCare Rewards program the ability to earn one $10 gift card to Exxon/Mobil, Shell, BP Amoco or BP Arco every week by spending $30 on specially marked items found in the weekly CVS/pharmacy circular. The program runs from May 22 to Aug. 28.