Center Store

REDWOOD CITY, Ga. — Medagate on Thursday announced the first implementation of its 2.0 restricted-spend platform, which encourages eligible consumers to make healthy living choices by purchasing qualified items at the point of sale. Fred's Super Dollar stores in North Carolina and Georgia will be the first stores to implement the new capabilities. 

Drug stores, especially chain drug stores, brand themselves differently. But once customers step through the doors, they tend to only see slight variations of the same thing: the same shelves, too tall for mere humans to reach the top without a ladder; the same product categories every other drug store carries; the same pharmacy counter in the back of the store; and the same cash registers in the front. Some stores have carpets, others have tile floors.


The entirety of Rite Aid’s marketing message can really be broken down to just two simple, yet powerful words: 
wellness empowerment. 


It is those two words that have helped inform Rite Aid’s entire wellness platform, from the introduction of its wellness+ loyalty card program in 2010 to the rollout of its new Wellness stores, beginning in 2011. It is those two words that have helped reinvigorate Rite Aid’s business — from how the store is formatted and how it looks, to the energy that pops among Rite Aid’s Wellness Ambassadors. 


SUPPLIER NEWS — Kellogg announced a lineup of innovative additions to its most successful brands for 2013, featuring new flavors and healthier options for snacking.


WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A new survey commissioned by The Dannon Company found that the majority of Americans understand the importance of digestive health and its link to overall well-being, the company announced Wednesday. While 93% of Americans agree that digestive health is closely linked to overall health and wellbeing, some may not always know the simple steps to help keep their digestive system on track.

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will review the safety of energy drinks containing such stimulants as caffeine in response to a letter from two senators.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens late Tuesday announced a mobile tasting tour across Los Angeles in advance of its latest flagship store opening Dec. 1. The Walgreens "Up Market: Fresh" experience will be brought to consumers via a custom-made, 40-foot bus that will visit various Los Angeles locations through Dec. 5. The "Up Market: Fresh" bus' daily location and featured sample menu items are shared via Twitter @upmarketfresh.

Some legislators are concerned with the way energy drinks can affect young consumers, especially in light of news reports linking several deaths with energy drink use.

Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are urging the Food and Drug Administration to move quickly to review the safety of these drinks.