WALGREENS

CHICAGO — Walgreens last month promoted Mia Scholz from corporate VP accounting and controller to SVP accounting and controller.

Scholz joined Walgreens in 1999 as director of internal audit. She was named a divisional VP in 2003, and was promoted to corporate VP accounting and controller in 2007.

Before joining Walgreens, Scholz was a senior manager for Arthur Andersen LLP in Chicago. She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1988.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Customer satisfaction as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index has not improved since the middle of 2009, and on Tuesday it registered its biggest drop in two years; for fourth quarter 2010, the index fell 0.5% to 75.3.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — With shingles vaccines widely reported to be in short supply from some healthcare providers, Walgreens on Monday announced the expansion of its availability of Zostavax — a one-time vaccine that can reduce the risk of shingles in individuals ages 60 years and older — and now is offering shingles vaccinations daily at more than 2,000 Walgreens stores and Take Care Clinics.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday rounded out the pharmacy purchasing team led by Jeff Berkowitz, who joined Walgreens in the fall as SVP pharmaceutical development and market access. The team reporting to Berkowitz includes Walgreen veterans Frank DeStefano, Mike Bleser and Mike Allen, as well as newcomers Jeff Foreman and Gary Gleeson.

Following are the responsibilities each will be covering:

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — "Try the brand of health-and-wellness products our pharmacists recommend," reads a new ad from Walgreens that hit Sunday papers this past weekend, extolling the virtues of the Walgreens store brand. This should serve as a wake-up call to the vendor community — particularly, over-the-counter manufacturers — that retailers are putting a greater emphasis on private label than ever before.

NEW YORK — Walgreens is in the process of introducing a wide-scale national campaign that has its pharmacists recommending Walgreens store-brand products in favor of national brands, the New York Times reported Thursday.

The new ad campaign, an extension of Walgreens' “There’s a Way” campaign introduced last year, will mark the first time the company is promoting its private-label offerings beyond the Sunday circulars and in-store point-of-purchase material.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Take Care Health Systems announced Thursday that through April 30, the retail clinic operator will be offering sports and camp physicals for $35. The physicals, regularly $60, are administered by board-certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants at select Walgreens locations.

MINNEAPOLIS — In the wake of Walgreens' Big Flats 1901 entry, Supervalu recently introduced its “high quality, low price” private-label American lager, Buck Range Light.

Buck Range Light, which retails for about $5.99 for a 12-pack, will roll out in Supervalu banners nationwide, including Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Cub Foods and more.