A miniature version of the spike in stock market activity that followed speculation about the prospects of a Walgreens-Rite Aid merger happened on Drug Store News' website as a quick writeup about the potential deal became the most-read story on the site. But for all the buzz that Credit Suisse analyst Edward Kelly created with his report, a Walgreens-Rite Aid merger appears pretty unlikely on closer inspection.

Sales at Safeway are looking up thanks in large part to fuel gains, but the grocer's loyalty card program is expected to continue driving that sales momentum into next year as the company rolls out its Just for U digital marketing platform and explores health-and-wellness initiatives.

By the time sales figures for August are tallied, last week's Hurricane Irene may have flooded more than the East Coast seaboard; she may have flooded pharmacy registers, too.

February sales at Rite Aid increased 1% over the prior-year period, while the chain's front-end and pharmacy same-store sales increased 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively.

Rite Aid brought the New Year in with a bang, recording monthly same-store sales increases across both the front end and back bench for the first time in almost two years.