Top Retailers

Rite Aid on Thursday announced the appointment of Yong Choe as VP federal affairs and public policy. Choe previously served as director of business outreach and member services for the Republican Study Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and worked in various roles in the government affairs division of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores between 2003 and 2010. In his new position, he will report to EVP pharmacy Robert Thompson.

CHICAGO — The Network of Executive Women on Friday named Donna Giordano, president of the Ralphs division of Kroger, and Monica Turner, general manager of market strategy and planning for Procter & Gamble, co-chairs of the NEW Executive Leaders Forum 2013.

NEW YORK — A line of OTC products from Australia will hit the shelves of Walgreens Friday.

Swisse Wellness announced plans to roll out its line of multivitamins and other products in October 2012, hiring actress Nicole Kidman as the spokeswoman for the brand.

An announcement on the company's website noted that the release would coincide with Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday as it touted its Ultivite multivitamins, Swisse Ultiboost Liver Detox and Swisse Ultivite + Energy.

LEBANON, Pa.  — Ever since H1N1, prevention has been a strong theme resonating through each cough-cold season. And now that there's a strong flu season driving traffic, retailers like CVS/pharmacy here are strategically placing end-caps, such as this Lysol display, leading into the cough-cold sets. Tissues and even hand sanitizers had always been good ancillary categories that enjoyed a lift during cold and flu season. Now disinfectant cleaners are a good category to benefit from those sniffles and sneezes too.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday announced the retirement of Central Division president Bob Moeder.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A standards-development organization for the pharmacy services industry has updated a white paper on protecting consumers and patients from accidental overdoses of the painkiller acetaminophen.

The NCPDP announced the updated white paper, "NCPDP Recommendations for Improved Prescription Container Labels for Medicines Containing Acetaminophen Version 1.1."

LOS ANGELES — The All American Pet Co. said its new line of nutrition bars for dogs is on its way to Walmart.

The company said Thursday that its three SKUs of NutraBars were on their way to "the world's largest retailer" for its first purchase order, though it didn't mention Walmart by name.

"We can get the retailer, but we can't write the retailer's purchase order," AAPT CEO Barry Schwartz said. "We created the bar and have the capabilities to meet the demand."

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid reported a 0.3% increase in comps for the month of January, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

The increase included a 4.2% increase in front-end comps, 2.4% of which came from sales of OTC flu products. Pharmacy comps decreased by 1.4%, while same-store prescription count increased 5%, 3.4% of which came from flu-related prescriptions and flu shots. Total store sales for the four-week period, which ended Saturday, decreased 0.5% to $1.91 billion.