Eight of the 14 retailers followed by Chicago-based research firm Market Track exclusively for PLBuyer’s eReport showed fewer private label promotions last week than a year ago.

But of the six that showed increases, CVS was the biggest story, with 170 percent more promotions last week than a year ago. HEB had 32 percent more promotions last week than a year ago.

On the down side, Food Lion cut back on its private label promotions by 32.4 percent, while Giant-Landover scaled back by 26 percent and Kmart cut back by 25 percent.

Market Track’s analysis reflects regional versioning and market specific differences in circulars. This is accomplished through an extensive collections process, including physically obtaining the ads from the various markets in which they are distributed. In instances where retailers send additional circulars to a limited number of markets, Market Track’s information reflects these nuances to give a view of what is happening nationally.