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ZAANDAM, Netherlands — Dutch supermarket operator Royal Ahold has bought back more than a quarter of the shares it intends to as part of a share-repurchase program announced earlier this year.

The company said Monday that it had bought back 2.23 million for $38.8 million. The purchases are part of the $678 million buyback program announced in February and increased by $2.03 billion in June.

The total amount repurchased so far is 42.8 million shares, for a total price of $711.9 million.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday evening may have posted what analysts have described as disappointing earnings, but that's not stopping Wall Street from recognizing the value Safeway is unlocking with its exit from a pair of markets — Chicago and Canada. After closing at $31.57 Thursday, Safeway's stock was selling at more than $2 higher early Friday afternoon, and at least one analyst has targeted $40 as the potential inherent in Safeway stock. 

It's been the week of the dollar store. Dollar General opened store No. 11,000 last week, and Family Dollar continues to reinvent its brand relevance with the consumer as the company posted monster gains for its fiscal fourth quarter and the year, driven by store experimentation, remodels and the introduction 1,000 SKUs, including many health and beauty items. 

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens recently fine-tuned its merchandising leadership structure, most notably elevating Jim Jensen to VP daily living implementation and space planning, where he will be looking at maximizing merchandising initiatives against space optimization in the stores. Moe Alkemade will assume the role of general merchandise manager handling seasonal, sundries and consumables; and Beth Stiller has been named group VP retail brands and global sourcing. 

All appointments are effective Nov. 4. 

By November, Walgreens will have completed fine-tuning its management structure for maximum effectiveness in realizing its three-pronged strategy. That strategy includes improving the front-end experience through retail theater. It includes establishing the pharmacist as the go-to source for healthcare, not just for the patient but for the payer, too.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday announced, as part of its plan to exit the Chicago market, it has sold four of its Dominick's stores in the greater Chicago area to New Albertsons, which operates Jewel-Osco grocery stores.  

Safeway announced today that it intends to exit the Chicago market altogether, where it operates 72 Dominick's stores, by early 2014. "We expect to use the cash tax benefit and any other cash proceeds from the disposal of Dominick's properties to buy back stock and to invest in growth opportunities," the company stated.

NEW YORK — The Skin Cancer Foundation’s annual Road to Healthy Skin Tour, presented by Rite Aid, has wrapped up its sixth cross-country journey, bringing free skin cancer screenings and prevention information to communities across America.

During this year’s tour, volunteer dermatologists detected 788 suspected pre-cancers and cancers, including 29 suspected melanomas.

CHICAGO — You can say the big winner was literally out of this world.

Unilever’s Axe Apollo Astronaut floorstand, designed by RockTenn Merchandising Displays, was named the Design of the Times 2013 Platinum Award Winner by Path to Purchase Institute judges, during a special awards ceremony Wednesday evening, here at the annual Shopper Marketing Expo.