RITE AID

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's SVP category management Tony Montini has been promoted to EVP merchandising, the pharmacy retailer said Monday.

In addition, SVP business development Bryan Shirtliff has been promoted to the new position of SVP merchandising.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is showcasing new candy varieties for last-minute Easter shoppers, the pharmacy retailer said Monday.

The National Confectioners Association ranked Easter as one of the top-selling holidays for candy and estimated that 16 billion jelly beans and 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year. Four-in-5 Americans celebrate Easter and are expected to spend about $14.6 billion during the holiday at all retailers nationwide, according to the National Retail Federation.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is hoping to raise $5 million to benefit the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals as it kicks off its 17th annual fundraising campaign for the nonprofit organization.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — It’s interesting how things can change over the course of a year, and the huge growth of Rite Aid’s Wellness+ program provides a good example.

(THE NEWS: Rite Aid finishes tough fiscal year, but Q4 shows improvements. For the full story, click here.)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Anyone who has ever managed a retail operation at the store level knows — perception is reality.

(THE NEWS: Independent pharmacies earn top scores from Consumer Reports readers. For the full story, click here.)

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Sales at Rite Aid fell during fiscal year 2011, according to financial results announced Thursday, but it appears the company may have gained some momentum, reversing negative same-store sales trends in the fourth quarter.

NEW YORK — Retailers rank among the highest for their customer service, according to a new report by the Temkin Group.

The consulting and research firm analyzed responses from 6,000 consumers, found that Amazon.com ranked No. 1 for providing an "excellent" customer experience, coming in with a ranking of 81.3%. A business qualifies for an "excellent" rating when their score is 80% or higher, Temkin said.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Total and front-end same-store sales at Rite Aid decreased during March, while pharmacy sales and prescriptions filled increased, the pharmacy retailer said Thursday.

Compared with last year, front-end same-store sales decreased by 1.8% during the four-week period that ended March 26, which the 4,711-store chain attributed to Easter falling on a later date this year, April 24, than last year, when it occurred on April 4.