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NEW YORK — TeleBrands, a developer of "As Seen On TV" products, has introduced three new innovations.

The lineup includes:

• Pasta Boat, a 5-in-1 pasta cooker that cooks, strains, serves, steams and serves. Complete with stay-cool handles, the steamer rack can be used to steam potatoes or vegetables right in the microwave. Pasta Boat cooks pasta in approximately 18 minutes and carries a suggested retail price of $9.99;

CHICAGO — The real question behind the introductions of a store-brand beer from both Walgreens and Supervalu is whether or not the new brews will be hits by year’s end. In other words, can Big Flats 1901 and Buck Range Light be to beer what Trader Joe’s Two-Buck-Chuck was to wine?


SUPPLIER NEWS — Australian winemaker Daryl Groom and Walgreens have launched a new table wine blend in line with American Heart Month. Colby Red, which was developed in partnership with Treasury Wine Estates, is dedicated to raising awareness for heart disease. The wine is named after Groom’s son, who was born with a hole in his heart and has undergone multiple surgeries to treat the defect.

Move over Snuggie and ShamWow — more direct-response products are coming to retail.


“Over the past five years, there’s been an explosion of these products at retail,” said Tom Haire, editor of Response Magazine, a publication that covers the direct-response industry. “Retailers see products that fly off the shelves because they’ve been advertised so heavily, and manufacturers see an opportunity to extend the life of the brand.”

WAYNE, N.J. — IdeaVillage’s new EasyFeet is the latest introduction in the active foot care As Seen On TV category. The flip-flop-like product — called a car wash for the feet — has 10,000 soft-scrubbing bristles and a built-in pumice stone to clean feet and rub away dead, dry skin on the heels. Suction cups hold EasyFeet in place, so consumers can safely use the product on tub and shower surfaces.


EasyFeet ships in March and will retail for $9.99. Idea­Village EVP Ronald Boger called EasyFeet a “monster hit for 2011.”

PLANO, Texas — Earnings per share for Dr Pepper Snapple Group increased 5 cents to 49 cents, compared with the year-ago period, thanks to an increase in consumer spending and new licensing agreements with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

NORWICH, N.Y. — Greek yogurt brand Chobani has launched its Real Love Stories multifaceted campaign.

The campaign, which underscores the love Chobani fans have for the brand, marks the company's first national advertising push, which includes two national television commercials, along with digital and out-of-home ads. Outreach also will continue on the brand’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hallmark has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to make sending greeting cards hassle-free.

New postage-paid greetings, which will range in price from $2.69 to $3.99, feature the U.S. Postal Service's Intelligent Mail bar code on the front of the envelope. Acting as a first-class stamp, Hallmark's postage-paid greetings have an added convenience so consumers can sign, seal and send cards without worrying about adding a stamp to the envelope.