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CHICAGO — A mere 2% increase in the payroll tax could represent $800 in reduced spending power per year for a person with a household income of $40,000, according to a new study by SymphonyIRI.

Symphony Consulting, a division of the Chicago-based market research firm, analyzed shopper behavior since the payroll tax increased on Jan. 1, focusing on the effect of the payroll tax on food and beverage consumption, including its effect on such dimensions as stores shopped, brands purchased and the effect on various segments and categories.

ST. LOUIS — A group of former executives from Save-A-Lot, Grandpa's Stores and Deals: Nothing Over a Dollar has teamed up to create a new business venture that they said would combine wholesale, retail and e-commerce components.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is selling a special edition of Justin Timberlake's new studio album, the mass-merchandise retailer said Monday.

Target said its edition of Timberlake's album, "The 20/20 Experience," would feature two bonus tracks, "Dress On" and "Body Count."

NEW YORK — New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Monday 21 companies have hit their targets in a city-led effort to curb salt. Restaurants, as well as food manufacturers, were named as some of the companies to achieve their goals.

Amaericans, on average, eat about twice as much salt as the suggested daily allowance. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health-related problems.

MIAMI — Green Innovations on Monday expanded its recently formed strategic advisory board, the company announced.

Joining the advisory board is Mark DeFilippo, a 20-year category management veteran from Walgreens. DeFilippo managed several categories across the front end, including candy and batteries, and OTC products such as cough-cold, pain and sleep remedies.  

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo, announced today the release of Kickstart, a breakfast drink combining Mountain Dew with real fruit juice.

"Our consumers told us they are looking for an alternative to traditional morning beverages — one that tastes great, includes real fruit juice and has just the right amount of kick to help them start their days," said Greg Lyons, VP marketing for Mountain Dew. "We heard them loud and clear and created a completely new offering with Kickstart to give them exactly what they asked for."

CHICAGO — Most Valentine's Day celebrants plan to shop a week or less before the holiday, and many wait until Feb. 13 or 14 to make their final purchases, according to research by the NPD Group, a leading global information company.

OMAHA, Neb. — Sergeant's Pet Care Products on Wednesday embarked on an awareness campaign alerting pet owners on how to keep their pets healthy.