COSTCO

NEW YORK — The investment groups of billionaires Warren Buffett and Jorge Paulo Lemann will buy H.J. Heinz for about $23 billion, according to published reports.

Bloomberg reported that Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Lemann's 3G Capital would buy the condiment maker for $72.50 per share, and the deal includes $12 billion to $13 billion from Buffett's group. Heinz also owns the Ore-Ida potato chip brand.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corp.'s sales increased 7% in January compared with January 2012, the club retailer said Thursday.

Costco reported sales for the five weeks that ended Sunday of $9.35 billion, compared with $8.74 billion a year ago. The month was one day shorter than last year due to the timing of the New Year holiday, which reduced total and same-store sales by about 2%, the company said. Comps in U.S. stores were up by 6%.

NEW YORK — Costco will replace Coke with Pepsi at its in-store lunch counters, according to published reports.

Costco will start selling Pepsi instead of Coca-Cola products at its food courts starting in April, news media reported. Stores in two of its eight regions already had switched to Pepsi. The company has long sold a $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combination meal at its stores.

According to reports, the switch was not related to a dispute between Costco and Coca-Cola in 2009, when the club retailer temporarily stopped carrying Coke products in its stores.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Aetna is offering individual health insurance plans to Costco members in California, the health insurer said.

The Costco Personal Health Insurance program includes five plans and offers broad medical benefits, dental options and a large network of doctors and hospitals. The program also is available to members of the club retailer in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Aetna plans to expand the program to other markets in the coming months.

Walmart recently announced that it would source $50 billion of the products sold in its stores in the United States over the next 10 years, according to a report in USA Today.

Costco announced in its January 2013 magazine that it would begin offering pharmacy benefit management services, targeting small businesses and highlighting a 200-employee company based in Washington state.

NEW YORK — Costco has entered the pharmacy benefit management business, according to published reports.

In an article in the January 2013 issue of Costco Connection magazine, the club warehouse retailer is promoting the new PBM, Costco Health Solutions, to small business owners. Pharmaceutical industry consultant Adam Fein noted on his blog, Drug Channels, that Costco was seeking to emulate the tactics already used by CVS Caremark, Walgreens and Walmart to drive prescription growth.

NEW YORK -- Growth in the consumer products market is likely to slow down over the next five years, while pharmacy retailers will see a profit windfall due to the generic drug cycle, according to a new report.