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☆ How Mark Cuban forced the biggest US pharmacy to upend its business
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The new program includes a set markup for medication costs, a step toward drug pricing transparency. The retailer has been facing pressure from new models like Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs. They've been especially focused on pharmacy-benefit managers and the lack of transparency around how much drugs cost. How Mark Cuban changed drug pricingCuban's pharmacy buys drugs directly from manufacturers and sells them to consumers at a 15% markup, plus pharmacy fees. AdvertisementBut the announcement looks to be a step in the right direction for drug pricing transparency.

Persons: —, Mark, Prem Shah, Mark Cuban, GoodRx, PBMs, Kroger, it's Organizations: CVS, Cuban, Plus, Service, Mark Cuban, Federal, US Federal Trade Commission, CVS Health, Kroger, Walgreens, Drug, Wall Street Locations: California

☆ We just got the clearest sign yet that grocery price increases are slowing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Food inflation is slowing down heading into 2024, according to the largest supermarket chain in the US. Executives at Kroger said they expect food inflation "in the low single-digits'" in the new year. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Food inflation peaked over the last two years in June 2022, when federal data showed prices rising 9%. Walmart is also expecting relief from food inflation, CEO Doug McMillon said earlier this month.

Persons: —, Gary Millerchip, Kroger, Millerchip, Rodney McMullen, Doug McMillon Organizations: US, Kroger, Service, Bank of America, Walmart Locations: Nashville , Tennessee

☆ The WNBA commissioner says the massive NIL success for women's college basketball players will be a 'huge positive' for the league
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Name, image, and likeness is creating a new crop of superstars in women's college basketball who could be game-changers for the sport as a whole. Those players are already driving more interest in women's college basketball. But for many of the women's college basketball players, "they've got Nike and Adidas. The women's college basketball season has already been exciting for viewers, especially those following the sport's biggest stars. Here are the women's college basketball teams Englebert is watching this season:

Persons: Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, Cathy Engelbert, It's, Engelbert, Englebert, We'll, they've, They've, Reese, Van Lith Organizations: WNBA, Reebok, Adidas, Business, Nike, Gatorade, Mercedes, State Locations: Bay

Barclays Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. Tesco Plc and Tesco Bank declined to comment. It could not be established how much the proposed deal would value the Tesco Bank assets. Tesco Bank was launched in 1997 as a joint venture between the British supermarket group and Royal Bank of Scotland, with Tesco later taking full control of the company. Despite seeing it as a growth area in the past, Tesco has been scaling back its banking services, including no longer offering current accounts and offloading its mortgage portfolio to Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L).

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Amy, Jo Crowley, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Lawrence White, Iain Withers, Anousha Sakoui, Jane Merriman Organizations: Barclays Bank, REUTERS, Barclays, Reuters, Tesco Bank, Tesco, Tesco Plc, British, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, Thomson Locations: British, Kensington

☆ Walmart will report earnings before the bell. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart will report quarterly earnings Thursday as the discounter generally outperforms its rivals. Shares of the company touched an all-time high Wednesday dating to when Walmart debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1972. Target's performance also lifted Walmart's stock Wednesday and could bode well for Walmart's quarter. Target's sales declined year over year, but it topped Wall Street's expectations for earnings and revenue. Walmart has outperformed Target over the past year, leaning on grocery sales and a reputation for low prices.

Persons: It's, bode, Michael Baker, Davidson Organizations: Walmart, Amazon Prime, New York Stock Exchange, D.A Locations: LSEG

☆ It's increasingly unlikely Amazon will ever catch up to Walmart in online groceries
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon is continuing to lose market share to Walmart in the online grocery space, per new data. Amazon has spent 2023 reevaluating its grocery strategy, particularly for its Amazon Fresh stores. AdvertisementAfter years of trying to get shoppers to order groceries online, Amazon is still losing ground to Walmart. Walmart's grocery sales online have eclipsed Amazon's by increasingly wide margins since 2019, according to data from Insider Intelligence. By the end of 2024, Walmart will have 26.9% of online grocery sales, while Amazon will have just 18.5%, according to the data.

Persons: —, Brian Lau, Andy Jassy, Amazon, Lau Organizations: Walmart, Intelligence, Amazon, Service, Insider Intelligence, Business, Insider Inc, Whole Foods, Axios, Foods, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg

☆ UK grocery inflation in single digits for first time this year -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Market researcher Kantar said annual grocery inflation was 9.7% in the four weeks to Oct. 29, down from 11% in last month's report. The Kantar data provides the most up-to-date snapshot of UK grocery inflation. Kantar said grocery sales in the four weeks to Oct. 29 rose by 7.4% compared with last year. Spending on promotions hit 27.2% of total grocery sales – the highest level since Christmas last year. UK supermarkets' market share and sales growth (%)Source: Kantar($1 = 0.8061 pounds)Reporting by James Davey Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Phil Noble, Kantar, Fraser McKevitt, Rishi Sunak, James Davey, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of England, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

☆ Walmart shares hit all-time high, as retailer's value focus attracts shoppers and investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The big-box retailer's stock hit a peak of $166.30 earlier in the day. That marks the highest since Walmart first began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1972. Shares of Walmart touched an all-time high Friday, as investors bet that the discounter will outmatch retail rivals and draw shoppers throughout the holiday season because of its reputation for value. That business has helped Walmart draw foot traffic, even as other retailers like Macy's and Target give cautious outlooks and see weaker results. "It really shows that the value proposition for Walmart is much more than just low prices or value.

Persons: —, John David Rainey, Rainey, Walmart's, — CNBC's Christopher Hayes Organizations: Walmart, New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Target

☆ Sainsbury’s gain is private equity’s pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Red hot competition in the UK grocery market is favoring the largest players. Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts reckons the 6.5 billion pound group has been taking market share from rivals including discounters Aldi and Lidl. That may not be good news for Sainsbury’s smaller peers like Morrisons and Asda, owned by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and EG Group respectively. Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco have held their market shares relatively stable since 2021, when CD&R bought Wm Morrison. Sainsbury’s is currently valued at 5 times forward EBITDA, according to LSEG data.

Persons: J Sainsbury’s, Simon Roberts reckons, Wm Morrison, Aimee Donnellan, Aston Martin, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Aldi, Tesco, Clayton, Rice, EG, R, Asda, Morrisons, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Britain’s, Asda, Dubilier

☆ Why Aldi Is the Fastest Growing Grocer in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Why Aldi Is the Fastest Growing Grocer in the U.S.Aldi’s no-frills strategy has helped make it one of the cheapest and the fastest growing grocery stores in the U.S. WSJ explains why its unique approach to the shopping experience makes it a threat to competitors. Photo Illustration: Annie Zhao

Persons: Annie Zhao Organizations: Aldi, Fastest, WSJ Locations: U.S

☆ For the second Halloween in a row, U.S. candy inflation hits double digits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That's on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. "The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous," said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Weathers said she usually buys plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters and events at school and church. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said.

Persons: Jessica Weathers, Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Hershey Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. “The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said. Buck said Hershey is trying to meet consumers’ needs with offerings in value stores and pack sizes at various price points.

Persons: ”, Jessica Weathers, ” Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Mars Inc, Hershey Co Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

☆ Meet the 'queen of caviar' who supplies Britain’s royal family with the world's most expensive food
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

King's Fine FoodLaura King has run a caviar business for almost 20 years — even supplying Britain's royal family with the coveted foodstuff. Now, she's known as the "caviar queen," and her firm King's Fine Food imports hundreds of kilos of caviar into the U.K. every two to three weeks. Oscietra caviar is the most popular product sold by King's Fine Food. Laura King (left), founder of King's Fine Food, with her daughter Holly King, the company's sales director. "We're two women in business, probably the only two women in the caviar business almost in the world.

Persons: Laura King, King, John King, Holly —, —, Conran, Melba, Terence Conran, retails, …, You've, you'll, I've, King's, Holly King, Mason, Queen Elizabeth II, Holly, We've Organizations: King's, CNBC, Fine Food, Harrods, Cathay Pacific, Emirates . British Airways, Foods, John King Brain, Royal Locations: London, Dorchester, British, Iran, Russia, Belgium, China

☆ How Walmart became America’s largest grocer
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Shawn Baldwin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In an effort to stretch their dollars, a growing number of Americans are turning to Walmart . The Arkansas-based retailer is America's largest grocer, more than twice the size of its next-biggest competitor as it takes in more than one in four grocery dollars in the U.S., according to KeyBanc Capital Markets. Though many Americans have turned to Walmart for relief from higher prices, the retailer's shoppers aren't immune to inflation. But with inflation cooling and prices leveling off, will Walmart be able to hang on to its newly acquired shoppers? CNBC looks into Walmart's grocery business to see why even more Americans might be buying food from the company in the future.

Persons: Brad Thomas Organizations: Walmart, KeyBanc, CNBC Locations: The Arkansas, U.S, America

☆ U.S. Senate panel sends three FTC nominations to full Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter testifies on the "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission" before the U.S. Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted on Wednesday to send three nominations for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to the full Senate. THE TAKEIf confirmed by the Senate, as expected, adding the two Republicans will not change the balance of power at the five-member FTC, which also enforces antitrust law. A previous Republican FTC commissioner, Christine Wilson, quit this year and sharply criticized agency leadership. Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Slaughter, Leah Millis, Andrew Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, Lina Khan, Christine Wilson, Diane Bartz, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal, Federal Trade Commission, U.S . Senate Consumer Protection, Safety, Insurance, Data, Russell Senate, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Senate, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Democrat, FTC, Democratic, Amazon.com, Albertsons, Republican, Thomson Locations: Russell, Washington , U.S, Virginia, Utah

[1/2] The Kroger supermarket chain's headquarters is shown in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., June 28, 2018. Bonta said the decision has not been made, but added: "Right now there's not a lot of reason not to sue." In September, the companies announced a plan to sell more than 400 grocery stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers in an effort to get regulatory approval for the deal. A Kroger spokesperson said only non-unionized retailers, like Walmart and Amazon, will benefit if the merger is blocked. Research from the University of Southern California in 2021 found one in three neighborhoods in 30 populous U.S. cities had inadequate access to needed pharmacy services.

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, Rob Bonta, Bonta, Lina Khan, Diane Bartz, Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, Rights, Albertsons, S Wholesale Grocers, Walmart, U.S, Water Watch, Federal Trade, FTC, University of Southern, Thomson Locations: Cincinnati , Ohio, U.S, California, America, Food, Washington, University of Southern California

☆ Finnair is one daunting rights issue that can fly
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Finnair Airbus A320-200 aircraft prepares to take off from Manchester Airport in Manchester, Britain September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rights issues worth almost the value of a company’s equity rarely get off the ground. Tell that to 700 million euro Finnair (FIA1S.HE), which on Friday unveiled a 600 million euro rights issue. For one thing, the Finnish state owns over half of the Nordic airline and is supporting the rights issue. The government is offsetting the cost of the cash call by being partly refunded a 400 million euro capital loan it granted to the airline in the wake of the pandemic.

Persons: Phil Noble, Aimee Donnellan, Tesla, Sandoz, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Airbus, Manchester Airport, REUTERS, Reuters, Nordic, SAS, X, Alstom, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain

☆ Vietnam’s Tesla justifies stock price reversal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A VinFast VF 8 model is seen during a car delivery ceremony at the VinFast car factory in Haiphong province, Vietnam, September 10, 2022. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Oct 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Vietnam’s richest man may have to get used to spending some time in the slow lane. In August, Pham Nhat Vuong closed an unconvincing merger with a blank-cheque company that bestowed a $23 billion market value on his Tesla (TSLA.O) wannabe VinFast . There are no details of sales in the United States, a key target market where it has been burdened by poor reviews. Without some impressive progress outside of Vietnam, though, the EV company’s stock is going nowhere fast.

Persons: Thinh Nguyen, Pham Nhat Vuong, Sandoz, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, EV, X, Alstom, Brookfield, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Haiphong province, Vietnam, Rights SINGAPORE, United States

☆ Alstom cash crunch dents management credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Alstom (ALSO.PA) CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge faces an uphill struggle to shore up his credibility. The French train maker lost 35% of its market value – amounting to 3 billion euros - on Thursday after announcing that it would book negative free cash flow of 500 to 750 million euros this year. Finally, weaker than expected orders in the first half of the year generated less cash in the form of down payments. Given the potential for the group’s net debt to be 3 billion euros by year-end, 1 billion euros more than expected, Deutsche Bank analysts reckon it may soon need a capital increase. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Henri Poupart, Pierre Briancon, Aimee Donnellan, Streisand Neto Organizations: Alstom, REUTERS, Reuters, London Underground, Deutsche Bank, X, Sandoz, Brookfield, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Saint, Ouen, Paris, France

☆ Sandoz owners are banking on margin cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sandoz’s (SDZ.S) investors are giving CEO Richard Saynor the benefit of the doubt. Shares in the generics drug maker, which $217 billion pharma giant Novartis (NOVN.S) has finally managed to spin off, started to trade in Zurich on Wednesday. There was a risk that Novartis investors, who have long called for a sale or spinoff, would quickly dump the new Sandoz shares. At current market prices, Sandoz is worth nearly $11 billion, or $14.4 billion once net debt is added in. For now, Novartis investors seem to believe Sandoz’s treatment may be effective.

Persons: Richard Saynor, Sandoz, Aimee Donnellan, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Novartis, Sandoz, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, X, Brookfield pounces, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Zurich, That’s

The business works with more than 300 family farms across the country, and can process up to six million eggs per day. Vital Farms eggs can cost anywhere from $6 to $10 per dozen, multiple times the national average. From Whole Foods to 24,000 storesIt took two years for Vital Farms to turn its first operating profit. Those factors are expensive, and Vital Farms has to convince farmers that the costs are worthwhile. Vital Farms can process up to 6 million eggs per day at the brand's central processing facility in Missouri.

Persons: Matt O'Hayer, he's, O'Hayer, John Mackey, Mackey, It's, Russell Diez, Canseco, Diez, — Organizations: Vital, Rhode, CNBC, Foods, Vital Farms, American Society for, Albertsons, Kroger, Walmart, Care, People, Animals, PETA, Cal, Research Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Houston, Austin, Midwest, Publix, Target, O'Hayer, Missouri, Maine

☆ Brookfield pounces on two new green trends
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - European green assets are starting to look cheap. That’s the implication of Brookfield’s $1 billion swoop on Banks Renewables, one of the UK’s largest green energy developers. Having largely deployed a $15 billion energy transition-focused fund outside Europe, the Canadian investment giant’s new geographical focus is unlikely to be a one-off. Amid a green bubble in early 2021, when Orsted was worth $80 billion, Banks might have fetched way more. While Banks is big in onshore wind farms, the bulk of its 3.5 GW pipeline is focused on solar power and battery storage.

Persons: Orsted, Banks, George Hay, Aimee Donnellan, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Banks Renewables, International Energy Agency, Brookfield, X, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Europe, Brookfield

☆ Grocer profit will be sacrificed on UK food altar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - British shoppers enjoyed a novel experience last month: lower food prices. Admittedly, the fall in the average food basket between August and September was just 0.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium. But it was the first monthly fall in food prices since July 2021 and brought down overall retail inflation to 6.2%, the lowest in a year. That’s good for consumers, especially those who like dairy products, margarine, fish and vegetables – the items that caused the overall fall. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Helen Dickinson, Francesco Guerrera, Aimee Donnellan, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, British Retail Consortium, Bank of, Grocers, X, Temasek, Thomson Locations: Bank of England

☆ 10 things I wish I knew before I moved from New York to London
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kim Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —It’s been nearly 20 years since I moved from New York to London. I don’t drink alcohol, so, when I first moved to the UK, I avoided the pubs for about a year. To my great surprise, I discovered that British pubs were nothing like I had imagined! “Yeah?” “Yeah!!!!! According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, Brits drink over 100 million cups daily and 36 billion cups per year!

Persons: CNN — It’s, Leicester, Kim Davis, breathlessly, I’m, “, ”, I’ve, mickey ”, Sheldon Cooper, don’t, Hershey, et Walker, Eliza Doolittle, Little, it’s, Ariel, ” Don’t, There’s, Parinya, Abbott, Costello “ Who’s, Tummy, Mason, You’ll Organizations: CNN, Brit, British, Harrods, LIPTON Locations: New York, London, United States, United Kingdom, Yorkshire, Britain, Europe, “, America, York, Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon

In a statement to Reuters, Mobile World said it would announce the information once the deal was concluded. The sources said the deal could value Bach Hoa Xanh, Vietnam's third largest grocery chain, at around $1.5-$1.7 billion. Founded in 2015, Bach Hoa Xanh, backed by Vietnam's retail giant Mobile World Investment (MWG.HM), is running more than 1,700 stores in Vietnam's southern and south-central provinces. The Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered company had first planned the sale of a stake of up to 20% in Bach Hoa Xanh last year. Bach Hoa Xanh was expected to be profitable from next year, its managing director told investors last month.

Persons: GIC, Bach, Xanh, Yantoultra Ngui, Chayut, Kane Wu, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Investment, Mobile, Revenue, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, HANOI, Thailand, Vietnam, China, United States, Chi Minh City, Bach Hoa, Singapore, Phuong Nguyen, Hanoi, Bangkok

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