News Briefs

Maesa’s Kristin Ess brand has expanded its retail distribution.

The luxury hair care and styling products are now available at Walmart stores, which support the brand’s mission to offer salon quality products at an affordable price, the company said.

More than 2,000 Walmart stores and Walmat.com will carry the Signature Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as the Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner and Style Reviving Dry Shampoo.

“We are very excited to introduce the Kristin Ess brand to the Walmart consumer.  The brand is poised for success with this expanded distribution offering the consumer what they are looking for – performance driven haircare at an affordable and accessible price point,”  said Hazel Nussbaum, general manager for Kristin Ess. 

Kristin Ess products are vegan and cruelty-free, made for all hair types and textures, and salon tested.

Following the tragic explosion at the R.M. Palmer food processing facility, Giant is inviting customers to join in its efforts to support the West Reading community. Now through April 9, Giant will donate 50 cents for every Palmer Easter candy and chocolate purchased, up to $25,000, to support the West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund.

“The Giant Company is deeply saddened by the tragic events impacting the West Reading community and R.M. Palmer team,” said John Ruane, interim president at Giant. “While nothing will make up for the loss experienced, we hope to grow community resources and support in partnership with those we serve. Together, we can help uplift a neighborhood in need one purposeful act at a time.”

Angela Pinkstaff, director of business development at HRG, will lead a Smart! Talk presentation, “Improve Your Environmental Impact with Sustainable Fixture Practices,” on the show floor at Shop! MarketPlace, Wednesday, April 26, at 10 a.m. The session will focus on streamlining the fixture reset process by employing processes to facilitate the reuse of componentry to decrease waste, reduce labor hours and increase profitability. Shop! MarketPlace is at the Palmer Events Center on April 25-27 in Austin, Texas.

The interactive presentation will show how technology can help attendees overcome any internal resistance to change and illuminate where improvements can be made, reimagining more cost-effective and socially responsible resets. In addition, attendees will learn how to assess current reset processes and identify improvement areas, estimate savings in time, labor and materials and the significance of the potential improved environmental impact.

Pinkstaff stated, “Social responsibility is not a fad. Brands, retailers, and suppliers alike are looking for ways to implement processes and procedures that have positive, measurable impacts. Improvements in sustainability related to fixture processes can offer constructive environmental impacts, as well as save time, labor and material costs.”

Enlightened is debuting a brand new product line—Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars.

Available in two flavors—caramel brownie and mint and cookies—the bars are made with Greek yogurt to deliver sweet and tangy flavors, the company said.

"Our customers have been asking us for years to deliver a Greek yogurt version of our ice cream bars," said Enlightened founder and CEO Michael Shoretz. "We worked hard to create a product that not only tastes great but also offers a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream bars."

The frozen bars contain 80 calories, 3 g of added sugar and 5 g of protein per serving. Enlightened’s Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars retail for $6.99 and can be found at Sprouts Farmers Market, Harris-Teeter, Shop Rite, Ingles and Smart & Final, among others.

CVS Health today announced it expects to complete its acquisition of Signify Health on or around March 29, 2023, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement.

The companies entered into a definitive agreement in September 2022. Under the agreement, CVS Health announced it would acquire Signify Health for $30.50 per share in cash for a total transaction value of approximately $8 billion. Upon completion of the acquisition, Signify Health will continue to operate as a payor-agnostic business as part of CVS Health.

Signify Health is a leader in Health Risk Assessments, value-based care and provider enablement. With a network of more than 10,000 clinicians across all 50 states and a nationwide value-based provider network, combined with its proprietary analytics and technology platforms, Signify Health is improving patient engagement, patient outcomes and care coordination for stakeholders across the healthcare system, CVS Health said in September when the proposed deal was announced.

The company also said that Signify Health’s clinicians and providers could have an even greater impact by engaging with CVS Health’s unique collection of assets and connecting patients to care how and when they need it.

“Signify Health will play a critical role in advancing our healthcare services strategy and gives us a platform to accelerate our growth in value-based care,” said CVS Health President and CEO Karen Lynch. “This acquisition will enhance our connection to consumers in the home and enables providers to better address patient needs as we execute our vision to redefine the healthcare experience. In addition, this combination will strengthen our ability to expand and develop new product offerings in a multi-payer approach.”

Signify Health’s network of clinicians, physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants utilize home-based visits to identify a patient’s clinical and social needs and then connect them to appropriate follow-up care and community-based resources for the patient to have a more connected, effective care experience. 

Since acquiring Caravan Health in March 2022, Signify Health has expanded its focus on value-based care and population health. Today, Caravan is already a partner to over 170 providers participating in accountable care organizations serving Medicare beneficiaries, focusing on improving the health of underserved communities.

With Easter just around the corner, BodyTech is bringing the flavors of the sweetened marshmallow treats to the health and wellness aisle. 

The brand has partnered with Peeps on a new limited-edition Whey Protein Isolate, which will be available through June at The Vitamin Shoppe. 

The product is available in marshmallow and chocolate marshmallow flavors and contains 25 g of protein, 1 g of fat and 1 g of sugar per serving, the company said.

Consumers can find BodyTech x Peeps Whey Protein Isolate in a 1.5-lb. size that retails for $39.99 and a 3-lb. size for $64.99.