Consumer Affairs & Relations

New York City -- A survey released Thursday by consumer research firm AlixPartners found that 51% of consumers visit traditional supermarkets for their grocery shopping, while 30% shop mass merchants such as Walmart for groceries. Drug stores pull 5% of grocery shoppers, as do dollar stores.

Suppliers to Walmart will have plenty of opportunities to hear from Walmart EVP merchandising Duncan Mac Naughton in the months ahead.

First up is Walmart’s annual meeting for financial analysts held each fall and slated for Oct. 11 to 12 this year. An agenda isn’t yet available, but Mac Naughton presumably will be a featured participant, or at least he should be considering Walmart’s ongoing efforts to revive U.S. sales and recent moves Mac Naughton has made to the structure and leadership of the merchandising organization.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark said its board has approved a $4 billion stock repurchase program and that it intends to complete an earlier $2 billion program before the end of this year.

Under the new authorization, the retailer said it expects to repurchase about $1 billion in shares by the end of the year.
 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer announced that it has opened a new, smaller-format grocery store in the Chicago area. The 90,000 sq. ft. Meijer Marketplace store in Melrose Park, will feature national and Meijer own brand grocery items, along with a full-service pharmacy offering a variety of national and Meijer brand health and beauty products, the company reported.  

By Liana Hill, [email protected]

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday named Thomas Sabatino Jr. EVP, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective Sept. 12.

Sabatino replaces Dana Green, who is retiring after 37 years with the company, Walgreens stated.

New York City -- Former Duane Reade CEO Tony Cuti was sentenced on Monday to three years in prison in connection with accounting fraud at the New York-based drug store chain.

Cuti, who is to report to prison on Jan. 31, 2012, also must pay a $5 million fine.

New York City -- The women who were part of the large class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores have been given until Oct. 28 to file individual lawsuits against the company, a U.S. judge ruled, Reuters reported.

The women, who claim the retailer denied them pay raises and promotions because of gender bias, are regrouping after the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled a class of up to 1.5 million current and former Wal-Mart workers in June.