Center Store

DETROIT — Avanti is gearing up for spring 2013 by boosting its portfolio to include a variety of new greeting cards.

New to the Avanti portfolio are Valentine's Day cards enhanced with glitter and foil; Easter cards that showcase bright colors and characters; Mother's Day cards that are humorous and traditional; Father's Day cards that evoke a "saltier" style of humor; and graduation cards for grades kindergarten and older. Avanti also is launching new seasonal StandOuts cards and Avanti-branded cards that have been added to the company's A*Press collection.

NEW YORK — "MIA" usually stands for "missing in action," but according to published reports, some consumers south of the U.S. border take it to stand for something that Americans may consider cause for celebration.

SUPPLIER NEWS — A remedy for odors that lurk in trash cans has entered the market. Trash Dash, a new item marketed under the BestAir brand, is a sodium bicarbonate-based product that is designed to enhance indoor air quality and add a fresh scent to trash or recycling containers by absorbing odors. Available in citrus burst or lavender vanilla scents, BestAir Trash Dash is available in 8-oz. containers and carries a suggested retail price of $3.99 
to $4.49.


HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart and Sears are eliminating layaway service fees, starting a layaway home-delivery service and new in-store mobile features for what the company expects to be the busiest shopping season since 2007.

NEW YORK — Only 58% of consumer packaged goods executives view dollar stores as a strategic channel, according to Deloitte’s new "Dollar Store Strategies for National Brands" study. Deloitte advises that CPG companies may not be keeping pace with the explosive growth of the $56 billion dollar store industry, and should act now to maximize market share and profits.

In other survey highlights:

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday announced the launch of the "Taylor Swift Store at Walgreens," which will market a wide array of products from the six-time Grammy winner's branded merchandise line. Walgreens and select Duane Reade locations will provide a comprehensive, in-store selection of Taylor Swift music and merchandise.

The items will be available for purchase chain wide beginning the week of Oct. 8. The Taylor Swift-branded merchandise will incorporate artwork from her soon to be released album, "Red."

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid unveiled what it called its "next generation" Wellness store as the chain reported a decrease in same-store sales Thursday.

The store, in Lemoyne, Pa., is less than a mile from the 4,639-store chain's Camp Hill, Pa., headquarters. A ribbon-cutting Thursday morning marked the store's grand opening.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Critically acclaimed television series "Smash" is coming to DVD with UltraViolet this winter.