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The limited-time kits include shopping tips, nutrition guidance, and product samples

• ShopRite is offering free Wellness Your Way Starter Kits to customers filling their first GLP-1 prescription at a ShopRite Pharmacy.

• The updated kits feature an expanded nutrition guide with aisle-by-aisle shopping advice, product recommendations and recipes.

• The kits are available at ShopRite Pharmacy locations while supplies last, and the nutrition guide can also be found online.

Starting a GLP-1 medication can come with changes to your daily routine, including how you approach grocery shopping and nutrition. ShopRite is looking to make that transition a little easier with the return of its Wellness Your Way Starter Kit, a free resource designed for customers beginning GLP-1 medications for weight management.

The grocery chain announced the updated kits on October 28, building on an initial launch earlier this year. The latest version includes an expanded nutrition guide intended to help shoppers make more informed choices as they adjust their eating habits.

The goal is to give customers practical information they can use during everyday grocery trips, rather than leaving them to figure out their shopping routines on their own.

As customers adjust their eating habits while beginning a GLP-1 medication, we want to make navigating the supermarket feel more manageable, Aaron Sapp, Vice President of Pharmacy and Wellness for Wakefern Food Corp, said in a news release. Our goal is to provide practical resources and support that help customers build new routines and make informed choices that work for their individual needs.

What's included in the starter kits?

The centerpiece of the kit is the Wellness Your Way nutrition guide, developed with input from a ShopRite registered dietitian. It walks shoppers through the supermarket aisle by aisle, offering shopping tips, product recommendations, and brand spotlights.

The guide also highlights several nutritional considerations, including protein, fiber, hydration, and nutrient-dense foods. These topics can help customers identify options to consider as they plan meals and make changes to their diets.

The kits also include samples from participating brand partners. Featured brands include Ensure, TUMS, OLLY, G Hughes Zero Sugar, Mentos Gum, MiraLAX, Kraft, Bowl & Basket, Thomas, GoGo squeeZ, Pure Protein, and Eat Pecans from the American Pecan Promotion Board.

What this means for shoppers

For eligible customers, the starter kit offers a way to access nutrition information and try select products without paying for the kit itself. Customers filling their first GLP-1 prescription at a ShopRite Pharmacy can receive one free while supplies last.

The kits are available for a limited time at all ShopRite Pharmacy locations, although the company has not specified an end date in its announcement. Customers can contact their local ShopRite Pharmacy to learn more about availability.

Shoppers can also explore the Wellness Your Way resources online, including the nutrition guide, without relying solely on the physical kit.

The guide can serve as a starting point for grocery planning, but customers should remember that nutritional needs vary. Anyone starting a GLP-1 medication can discuss individual dietary questions with their healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to determine what choices make the most sense for them.

The deal could combine memberships and expand shopping options, but it may also reduce competition

• DoorDash plans to buy Instacart for about $17 billion: The move combines two major delivery platforms.

• A single membership could replace DashPass and Instacart+: However, consumers should know that official pricing hasn't been announced.

• Nothing changes immediately: The deal requires approvals and isn't expected to close until late 2027 or early 2028.

If you use DoorDash for takeout and Instacart for groceries, a big change could be coming your way.

DoorDash announced that it plans to acquire Instacart for approximately $17 billion, bringing two of the biggest delivery platforms together under one roof.

The companies promise more shopping options and potential membership savings. Here's what shoppers should know.

One membership instead of two

Today, customers who use both platforms may pay separately for DashPass and Instacart+, which provide benefits such as reduced delivery fees on eligible orders.

DoorDash says it plans to offer one membership covering both services. The companies estimate that could save subscribers a combined $100 million a year. That's a company-wide estimate, not a guarantee of savings for individual subscribers.

That sounds promising, but there's an important catch: They haven't announced the combined membership's price or benefits.

Someone who currently pays for both memberships could save money. Someone who subscribes to only one might not.

More stores, but not necessarily lower prices

The acquisition could give Instacart users access to more than 50,000 additional stores. The companies also plan to retain the Instacart brand and app.

But more stores don't automatically translate into cheaper groceries for consumers.

Delivery platforms may charge service fees, small-order fees, and other charges. Item prices can also differ from what you'd pay in-store.

The concern is that combining two major delivery competitors could eventually mean fewer choices for shoppers and less pressure to keep delivery fees low. That's one issue regulators will likely examine before approving the deal.

Meanwhile, other delivery options, including Walmart, Amazon, and grocery chains' own services, will remain available.

The transaction isn't expected to close until late 2027 or early 2028, assuming it receives the required approvals.

5 ways to save on delivery right now

You don't have to wait for the merger to cut costs.

1. Compare the total, not just the delivery fee. Keep in mind that a $0 delivery fee doesn't guarantee the cheapest order. Build the same cart on two services and compare the final totals, including item prices, service charges, and tips.

2. Check your credit card benefits. Some cards offer delivery credits, discounts, or complimentary memberships. Before renewing DashPass or Instacart+, see whether your card already provides a benefit. Check expiration dates and enrollment requirements.

3. Try curbside pickup. If you're already driving past the store, pickup may eliminate delivery charges. Compare pickup and delivery totals, since fees and minimums vary by retailer.

4. Audit your memberships. Look at how many orders you placed in the past three months and how much your subscriptions cost. If you rarely use one platform, canceling its membership could save more than waiting for a future combined plan.

5. Avoid paying extra to dodge a small fee. Adding $15 worth of unnecessary groceries to avoid a $5 delivery charge isn't a bargain. Combine orders when practical, but don't buy products you wouldn't otherwise need.

What happens next?

For now, DoorDash and Instacart will continue operating separately. There's no need to change subscriptions simply because the acquisition was announced.

Keep an eye on the proposed combined membership, particularly its price, delivery minimums, and eligible stores.

Until the companies reveal the combined membership's price and benefits, shoppers are better off comparing delivery costs and making sure their existing subscriptions are worth the money.

The retailers latest report tracks flu activity ahead of recent seasons and offers consumers a way to follow local trends

• Walgreens has released its 20262027 Flu Index to help track flu activity across the country.

• This seasons activity is running about four weeks ahead of recent seasons, according to the company.

• Consumers can use Walgreens online index to monitor respiratory illness trends and get a better sense of whats happening in their area.

Flu season can be difficult to predict, but Walgreens is giving consumers another way to keep tabs on how the virus is spreading. The retailer has launched its 20262027 Flu Index, a resource designed to track flu activity across the United States.

This year, the company says flu activity is tracking approximately four weeks ahead of recent seasons. That timing could make it especially useful for consumers who want to follow local trends as the season progresses.

The index provides a snapshot of where flu activity is showing up, helping people see how patterns differ from one part of the country to another. Rather than relying on a single national picture, consumers can explore the information to get a closer look at activity in their own region.

Flu activity can vary significantly from one community to another, and knowing whats happening locally can make a real difference, Rick Gates, Walgreens chief pharmacy & enterprise external affairs officer, said in a news release.

The Walgreens Flu Index gives people timely information to make informed decisions about prevention, including getting vaccinated before flu becomes more widespread in their community.

How Walgreens Flu Index works

Walgreens Flu Index is an online resource that uses prescription data to help identify patterns in flu activity. The company makes the information available through its website, where consumers can explore reported trends by location.

Because flu activity can vary by location, the index gives consumers a way to look beyond national headlines and see what is happening closer to home. The data can also help illustrate how seasonal patterns change over time.

The index is available through Walgreens Respiratory Illness Index webpage, where visitors can explore the available information.

What this means for consumers

For consumers, the biggest takeaway is that flu activity is running ahead of the timing seen in recent seasons, according to Walgreens. Keeping an eye on local trends may help people stay informed as respiratory illnesses become more prevalent.

The index can be a useful starting point for understanding what is happening in a particular area, but it is not a substitute for medical advice or an individual assessment of health risks. Trends in prescription data also should not be interpreted as a complete count of flu cases.

Consumers who want to follow the season can check the online index periodically to see how reported activity changes. The information may be especially helpful for people planning around family gatherings, work, school, and other activities during the colder months.

Ultimately, Walgreens latest index offers another resource for tracking the flu season as it develops. With activity reportedly running several weeks ahead of recent seasons, consumers can use the tool to stay aware of local patterns while making their own decisions about protecting their health.

State officials say the pricing policy threatens hospitals and patients

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has ordered Eli Lilly to stop requiring hospitals to provide extensive prescription claims data before receiving federally mandated drug discounts.

• The state alleges that Eli Lilly cut off discounted drug pricing to University of Missouri Health Care after the hospital system refused to comply with the company's new policy.

• The attorney general warns that the restrictions could increase hospital costs and threaten access to medical care, especially in rural areas where hospitals depend on federal drug discounts.

Missouri's attorney general is taking on pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly over a prescription drug pricing policy that state officials say is unlawful and could make it harder for hospitals to provide affordable medical care.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued a cease-and-desist letter this week, ordering the drug manufacturer to stop requiring Missouri hospitals to turn over detailed prescription claims information as a condition of receiving discounted medications through a federal program. The outcome could have nationwide implications.

The dispute involves the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, which requires participating pharmaceutical manufacturers to sell certain outpatient medications to eligible hospitals and healthcare organizations at reduced prices.

The savings help hospitals provide medical services to low-income and uninsured patients, particularly in rural communities where healthcare facilities often operate on tight budgets.

Big Pharma does not get to bully Missouri hospitals or hold prescription drug prices hostage, Hanaway said in announcing the action.

Eli Lilly is abusing its market power to impose higher prescription prices in Missouri. These tactics fall hardest on rural communities that depend on the 340B program to keep clinics open and ensure patients receive the care they need.

Hospital lost access to discounts

According to the attorney general's office, Eli Lilly implemented a policy earlier this year requiring hospitals participating in the 340B program to submit detailed claims data for every dispensing of a Lilly medication, regardless of where the prescription was filled.

The state contends that the requirement goes beyond what is necessary to administer the federal discount program. University of Missouri Health Care initially refused to comply with the policy.

On July 2, 2026, Eli Lilly cut off the health system's access to discounted 340B pricing, according to the attorney general.

Facing mounting financial losses and concerns about the potential impact on patient care, MU Health Care eventually agreed to provide the requested information temporarily while preserving its legal rights.

The attorney general's office says the health system is now incurring significant administrative expenses to comply with the requirements.

MU Health Care spokesman Eric Maze welcomed the state's intervention.

We appreciate the Missouri Attorney General's efforts to protect patient privacy and preserve our ability to provide high-quality care to all patients, Maze told ABC 17 News.

Why the dispute matters to consumers

Although the dispute centers on pricing arrangements between a pharmaceutical manufacturer and hospitals, the outcome could have consequences for patients.

The 340B program allows eligible hospitals and clinics to purchase outpatient prescription drugs at prices below those normally charged.

Hospitals can use the resulting savings to support services that might otherwise be difficult to maintain, including cancer treatment, emergency care, and assistance for patients who cannot afford their medications.

If hospitals lose access to those discounts, their operating expenses can increase substantially.

That doesn't necessarily mean consumers will immediately pay more at the pharmacy counter. However, higher costs could put pressure on hospital budgets, potentially resulting in reduced services or fewer financial assistance programs.

Rural hospitals may be especially vulnerable because many already face financial challenges and serve communities with limited alternatives for medical care.

The attorney general argues that Eli Lilly's policy threatens the financial stability of those facilities, and ultimately, patients' access to treatment.

Eli Lilly says the data helps prevent abuse

The drugmaker has maintained that collecting claims information is necessary to identify duplicate discounts and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the 340B program. The company has also said the information helps identify overlapping discounts under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Eli Lilly expanded its data-reporting requirements earlier this year, prompting objections from hospitals and legal challenges in other states.

Hospital groups argue that the requirements impose costly administrative burdens and can improperly interfere with access to federally required discounts.

State threatens legal action

Hanaway's cease-and-desist letter directs Eli Lilly to end its claims-data submission requirement for Missouri hospitals participating in the 340B program.

The company has also been ordered to stop using claims information collected under the disputed policy.

The attorney general alleges that Eli Lilly misled consumers by representing that eligible hospitals could purchase drugs at federally required discounted prices while withholding those discounts from facilities that refused to provide additional data.

The state contends that the conduct violates Missouri consumer protection law.