News

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens said its same-store sales rose 3.4% in April. But analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected, on average, that revenue at those stores had risen 3.6%.

Walgreen said pharmacy comp-store sales were up 1.8%, below analysts' estimate of 2.4%. The company said the results were hurt by 1.9 percentage points because of a calendar shift and the move of the allergy drug Allegra from prescription to over-the-counter status.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the final evening of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, the association for the first time honored two individuals in the same year with the Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Sammons, chairman of Rite Aid, and Tom Ryan, chairman of CVS Caremark.

New York City -- Dunkin’ Brands Group, which operates the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins chains, filed to sell at least $400 million of stock in an initial public offering.

The Canton, Mass.-based company plans to use the proceeds to repay debt and for working capital and general corporate purposes, according to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dunkin' Brands was taken private in 2005 by a trio of private-equity firms for $2.4 billion in cash.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Sales for Walgreens during the month of April edged up 5.5%, thanks to a boost in both front-end and pharmacy sectors.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears announced the launch of new jewelry line from designer Zaven Ghanimian. Beginning today, the Zeghani bt Simon collection will be available for purchase at Sears stores nationwide as well as online at www.Sears.com/zeghani.

Ghanimian is the son of famed jeweler Simon G and trained at his father's jewelry business before designing his solo collection.

For years, many retailers have at least informally been on the lookout for customers who abuse the return transaction process, and in some cases, declined to engage in further business with customers perceived to be engaging in abusive or even fraudulent return transactions. With the recession, and advanced technology, many retailers are either tightening their return transaction policies and/or their processes for identifying abusive return transaction patterns.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- Walgreens announced that it has partnered with NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products to launch an exclusive line of “The Biggest Loser”-branded meal alternative bars and shakes. According to a company press release, the line of products, named for the popular NBC weight-loss reality show, will be offered in all of the more than 7,600 Walgreens stores nationwide beginning in May.

CINCINNATI -- The Procter & Gamble announced the following organizational changes:

Edward Shirley, vice chairman beauty and grooming, will retire from P&G, effective Jan. 1, 2012, after 33 years service.  Until that time, effective July 1, Shirley has been named vice chairman on special assignment, continuing to report to Robert McDonald, chairman of the board, president and CEO.