Top Retailers

CAMP HILL, Pa. — According to the National Retail Federation, the average person will spend more than $116 on Valentine’s Day, and shoppers will spend 11% more at flower shops, candy stores and retailers this year than last year.

Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid said Monday it would be ready to sell chocolates, stuffed animals, trinkets and cards to last-minute shoppers.

These include Valentine’s Day cards for students and such novelty gifts as key chains, Lotto for Lovers scratch cards and bags of chocolate hearts for less than $1.

NEW YORK — "The Colbert Report" on Wednesday hosted a segment “Tip of the Hat; Wag of the Finger” that featured — and poked a little fun at — Walgreens’ private-label beer Big Flats 1901.

The American lager is so named as an homage to the flat boats that traveled rivers delivering goods to early settlers.

Walgreens' 50-cents-per-can beer is brewed by Genesee Brewery, which has been brewing Genesee beer in Rochester, N.Y., since 1878.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club pharmacies, which ranked highest among retailers in the prescription ordering and pickup process category in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. National Pharmacy Study, is expanding its services this month.

Throughout the month of February, Sam's Club is emphasizing its pharmacy segment by offering customers a free prescription checkup on any medication, as well as a free 10-count sample of its Member's Mark fish oil supplements (except in Puerto Rico-based stores).

DEERFIELD, Ill. — With the state of Colorado experiencing an increase in the number of reported whooping cough cases, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been encouraging vaccination to help increase immunity and stop the spread of the disease.

In response to this, Walgreens on Thursday announced that it now is offering immunizations that provide protection against pertussis (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis-Tdap vaccine) at all of its more than 150 stores throughout the state, every day, with no appointment necessary.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target said that although its comparable-store sales were below expectations in the South and Northeast, the company believes overall sales will be driven by two of its recent initiatives.

Target chairman, president and CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, said that while the company "expects the economy to remain challenging, Target's PFresh remodel program and REDcard Rewards 5% savings program continue to operate in line with expectations."

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens entered the digital beauty space with a new, interactive website aimed at finding real solutions to real makeup, hair and fashion dilemmas.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Thursday posted January sales of $5.9 billion, representing an increase of 11.3% from last year. Early morning trading of Walgreens stock was up 51 cents to $42.48.

Only 2.8 percentage points of that increase can be attributed to the acquisition of Duane Reade, the Deerfield, Ill.-based retailer stated. Total front-end sales increased 11.5% in January, and pharmacy sales increased 10.8%, accounting for 66.1% of total sales for the month.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Second-quarter revenue for Cardinal Health rose 2%, thanks in part to its acquisition of pharmaceutical distributor Kinray.

Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010, totaled $25.4 billion, compared with the prior-year period. Similarly, Cardinal Health's earnings per share from continuing operations jumped 21% to 69 cents.