Center Store

Evergreens play to consumers
NEW YORK — Retailers who stick with proven characters should see the strongest sell-through in the toy category. Charles Riotto, president of the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, said that, in addition to value, consumers want evergreen licenses to carry the assurance of quality that consumers desire in this economy. 

Disney Princesses remained strong and got a boost from the recent release of “Tangled.”  “Toy Story 3,” “Cars” and “Thomas the Tank Engine”  are still huge. 
Hefty Basics enters Northeast markets
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Pactiv is rolling out a line of compostable paper plates for its Hefty brand.

Hefty Basics are disposable paper plates that have the strength to support almost any meal. The plates are biodegradable in home composting and are microwavable, Pactiv said.

The plates are available at select grocery stores throughout the Northeast region of the United States in 45-count, 8 and 5/8-in. lunch plate packages and 24-count, 10 and 1/4-in. dinner plate packages.

Pentel salutes troops with letter-writing contest

TORRANCE, Calif. — A writing instruments leader, in partnership with a nonprofit group, is commemorating National Handwriting Day with a unique promotion.

Pentel's "Heroes Worth Writing For" contest aims to educate the importance of a handwritten letter by encouraging Americans to express their appreciation to U.S. troops. Pentel partnered with Operation Gratitude, which annually sends more than 100,000 care packages addressed to individually named U.S. Service members.
Complete series of 'Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends' arrives on DVD

FROSTBITE FALLS, Minn. — Classic Media and Bullwinkle Studios are bringing the complete series "Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends" to DVD in a collectible-edition box set.
Consumers snack on low sodium

DALLAS — Reducing sodium is at the top of consumer request lists when it comes to what they want in snacks, according to Frito-Lay. SymphonyIRI data showed that 52% of consumers in 2009 identified low sodium as an important snack attribute — up from 43% in 2007.

 Manufacturers are giving consumers what they want. Frito-Lay, for example, continues to expand its lightly salted chip varieties, which offer 50% less sodium per ounce per serving.
Pet goods bark success

Americans still are spending on their pets. The American Pet Products Association projected that consumers spent $47.7 billion on their furry friends in 2010, an increase of 4.9% over 2009. 

Sales of pet beds, leashes and inexpensive toys still were strong sellers. Treat-dispensing toys, such as Premier Pet Products’ Busy Buddy, are must-have items. When priced right, they generate strong impulse purchases. 
Sticky performance

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Elmer’s Products revamped its hardware line in November with the addition of two products that offer consumers enhanced strength and performance. Elmer’s believes that by concentrating on the performance of products, it can help reduce consumer confusion at the shelf by providing all-in-one formulas. 
FDA to require 'substantially equivalent' reviews of new tobacco products

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Certain tobacco products introduced to the market or changed after Feb. 15, 2007, are subject to enhanced scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency said Wednesday.
Beverage segment gets significant energy boost

  Dollar sales for energy drinks were up 8.2% in drug stores for the 52 weeks ended Oct. 31, 2010, according to SymphonyIRI Group. Energy shot dollar sales in the channel fared even better, with sales surging nearly 12% for the same period.

 Despite occasional controversy, demand remains strong for the beverages, and the segment is poised to become even more significant as its appeal broadens beyond its original target consumer group. 
Good things come in small packages? Not quite

YONKERS, N.Y. — It seems that Americans' everyday items are getting a little smaller.

According to a new survey by Consumer Reports, many packaged goods are being scaled back as suppliers face increased energy costs, as well as rising prices of ingredients. Tod Marks, senior editor and resident shopping expert at Consumer Reports, said that higher commodity and fuel costs are expected to spike in food prices by as much as 3% this year.