News

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year. To help its customers better understand this illness, Sam's Club Pharmacy locations are offering free diabetes and vision screenings (diabetes is a leading cause of blindness) for members and the public on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sam's Club's free diabetes screenings are valued at more than $150 and include:

•    Glucose tests

NEW YORK — Macy's, Limited Brands and Gap Inc. all posted August same-store sales that topped analysts' estimates as retailers across the board generally posted strong sales, boosted by back-to-school shopping and aggressive promotions. The strong showing comes shortly after the news that consumer confidence for August slumped to its lowest level of the year.

BRUSSELS — Delhaize's U.S. division has a new leader.

The supermarket conglomerate announced that Roland Smith will serve as Delhaize America's president and CEO, as well as EVP of the Delhaize Group, effective Oct. 15. Smith is replacing Ronald Hodge, who will be retiring from his post this year. Hodge will serve in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.

New York -- Discounters reported strong-than-expected sales for August, fueled by back-to-school shopping, promotions and cooler weather in the Northeast.

Costco Wholesale Corp.'s same-store sales in August rose 6%, beating the 4.5% rise analysts had projected.

Target Corp. reported a 4.2% increase in same-store sales, better than the 3.1% increase that analysts had expected.

Mike Kahn, director of Alpha Camera Systems for Sony Electronics was named special advisor to the board of PMA, the Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations.

The move is long overdue for an 86 year old organization focused on serving the needs of the imaging industry as Kahn’s appointment marks the first time a manufacturer representative was named to a PMA executive committee.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced a new search engine for Walmart.com. The new engine, named Polaris, was developed by a small team within @Wamart Labs,  the research and technology hub for innovation at Walmart. It uses semantic search technology to anticipate the intent of a shopper's search to deliver highly relevant results for them.  

"Come grow with us," could have been the title of the presentation Sam’s Club EVP of merchandising Charles Redfield gave earlier this week at the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s annual executive conference.

NEW YORK — Woolite is opening a branded pop-up boutique during New York Fashion Week. Located at 372 West Broadway in New York, the WooliteWashed boutique will open its doors to the public on Sept. 6 with a kick-off party during Fashion's Night Out, hosted by Cat Deeley from "So You Think You Can Dance" and celebrity style expert Jacqui Stafford.