For the second consecutive week, CVS has dramatically increased its private label promotions from a year ago, according to research done exclusively for PLBuyer’s eReport by Chicago-based market research firm Market Track.

CVS saw its promotions rise 71.8 percent from a year ago, easily the leader among the 15 retailers followed by Market Track. Only five others showed gains last week from a year ago, with Rite-Aid (+25%), A&P (+24.7%) and Walgreens (+19.7) also showing big gains.

On the downside, Walmart trimmed its promotions by 32.5 percent, with Publix (-31.4%) and Albertson’s/Supervalu (-29.9%) also down from last year.

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.