RETAIL NEWS

MIAMI - Florida pharmacies in the path of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday issued a number of advisories to help patients prepare for what has been billed as the largest hurricane in decades - Hurricane Matthew could become a category 5 storm before landfall Thursday night.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Black Friday no longer reigns as the biggest shopping day of the year, RetailNext reported Thursday.

That honor is now expected to be held by Dec. 23, as holiday shoppers fill their baskets with last-minute gifts to contribute to the biggest shopping day in terms of sales. The busiest shopping day in terms of store traffic - Super Saturday, Dec. 17 -  is expected to be driven by shoppers who don't literally wait until the last moment when it comes to gift gifing.  

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – While men are well known for avoiding the doctor, a recent survey found that 82% of women say they would rather do all of their family’s grocery shopping than go to the doctor.

To help encourage women to prioritize their health and to offer them a convenient way to do so, Sam’s Club is hosting free health screenings on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Walmart gave a lackluster profit outlook for next year, and said it will slow new store openings as it invests in remodels and digital initiatives.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is trying to get away from those big glossy coupons that come every few months in the mail, and instead is focusing on a paid membership experiment, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The home goods retailer is testing a membership model that for $29 a year offers a 20% discount on all purchases and free shipping. The paid subscription aims to generate other streams of revenue, increase customer loyalty, improve margins and better compete with Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime membership program, The Journal reports.

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Theranos on Wednesday shuttered its clinical labs and Theranos Wellness Centers across Arizona, California and Pennsylvania, company founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes shared in an open letter to stakeholders.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Dedicated to supporting the future of independent pharmacy ownership, McKesson’s RxOwnership team has partnered with the National Community Pharmacists Association to sponsor a series of educational ownership programs at the NCPA 2016 Annual Convention and Trade Exposition in New Orleans this Oct. 15–19, 2016.

NEW YORK - Holiday spending is expected to reach its highest point since the Great Recession, increasing 10% compared with the 2015 holiday season to an average of $1,121 each, according to PwC's 2016 Holiday Outlook released Tuesday. And consumers with annual household incomes less than $50,000 will likely increase their percentage spending levels even more than consumers overall.