Top Retailers

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is planning a rollout in Canada that will be bigger than any single year's worth of its store openings in the United States ever, executives of the company said Wednesday morning in a call with Wall Street analysts to discuss the mass merchandise retailer's fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 results.

LOS ANGELES — Music mogul Sean Combs and actor/producer Mark Wahlberg on Wednesday announced a joint venture with fitness and wellness water brand AQUAhydrate. Per the arrangement, Combs and Wahlberg will oversee business strategy along with CEO John Cochran, former president of Fiji Water.  

Together they will help drive the AQUAhydrate brand and be instrumental in helping secure retail partnerships for the water brand, such as their recently signed deals with Safeway, Kroger and GNC.

NEW YORK — Energizer is set to launch a new portfolio of lighting products this spring, the New York Times "Gadgetwise" blog reported today. The new line is expected to hit Target shelves in late March, followed by other mass merchandisers later on.

GREAT NECK, N.Y. — MinuteClinic, the retail healthcare division of CVS Caremark and North Shore-LIJ Health System (North Shore-LIJ), one of the nation's largest healthcare providers, have signed a clinical collaboration to enhance access to high-quality healthcare services in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. — OneHealth Solutions on Wednesday announced that Safeway has selected OneHealth to help support healthy living for its 171,000 employees. "Safeway is committed to developing programs that enable our employees to make informed and sustainable healthcare decisions," stated Kent Bradley, SVP and chief medical officer at Safeway. "We offer a number of innovative healthcare programs, and integrating a peer support program like OneHealth allows us to leverage the power of the community to support individuals on their health journey."

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Several pharmacy retailers got top place in a recent consumer satisfaction survey.

A report released Tuesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Rite Aid at the top among drug store chains, with a score of 77, a 3% improvement over last year. Walgreens gained 1%, for a score of 76, while CVS ranked 75, a 3% gain. The survey noted that CVS hit a low two years ago due to cost-cutting efforts.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark president and CEO Larry Merlo presented a $50,000 check Tuesday to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center before attending a luncheon sponsored by the Economic Club of Pittsburgh.

MINNEAPOLIS — Upon the closing of Supervalu's sale of five pharmacy banners to Albertsons LLC, Dan Salemi will assume the role of president of pharmacy at the new Albertsons LLC, DSN has learned.

Salemi will succeed Supervalu president pharmacy operations Chris Dimos. Dimos will remain in his current role until the transaction closes. Supervalu has not named a pharmacy head for the 191 retail operations that will remain with Supervalu.