Consumables

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — With shoppers looking for ways to buy things more conveniently, it's clear that the age of the multichannel consumer is well under way, and retailers would be wise to respond in kind. Many of them have already done so.

According to retail consulting firm Upstream Commerce, convenience ranks at the top of reasons why consumers shop online, and as recent news has shown, this is just as true for supermarkets as it is for anyone else.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Harris Teeter on Wednesday celebrated the official grand openings of its 201central stores during ribbon-cutting ceremonies at both locations — Wesley Chapel and Huntersville, N.C.

NEW YORK — Midwestern supermarket-pharmacy chain Hy-Vee announced Tuesday the opening of two new convenience stores in Iowa and Missouri.

A Hy-Vee spokeswoman told Drug Store News that the 4,350-sq.-ft. Iowa store in the town of Waukee includes a gas station and an attached Caribou Coffee shop with a drive-through, and stands on the site of a Hy-Vee store currently under construction.

The Liberty, Mo., store is on the site of an existing Hy-Vee location.

ATLANTA – Coca-Cola and Sanofi are partnering to launch a line of "beauty drinks" in France under the Oenobiol Beautific brand. The drinks claim to "help strengthen hair and nails, embellish skin, lose weight and improve vitality."

The beauty drinks will be sold in a "small scale pilot" to a limited number of pharmacies in the country, according to a statement from the Coca-Cola business unit in France. Coca-Cola declined to provide further details.

LOVE’S PARK, Ill. — Crunchmaster has added kid-friendly snack crisps to its lineup of gluten-free crackers.

Crunchmaster Crisps are made with a blend of California brown rice, whole corn, whole sorghum and other gluten-free grains. They are made from 100% whole grains, are peanut-free and certified gluten-free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization. The snacks contain 3 g of fat per 30-g serving, and are a good fit for consumers' healthy lifestyles.

SALEM, Ore. — Kettle Brand has added toasted snacks to its portfolio of all-natural snacks. New Kettle Brand Bakes are toasted rather than kettle-cooked and contain 65% less fat than Kettle’s fried chips. They contain no trans fats, no artificial colors or flavors, and no preservatives.

Kettle Brand Bakes are the only baked potato chip on the market made from slices of real potato seasoned with natural, savory flavors. Competitive baked crisps are made using dehydrated potato pulp and flakes.

Now you can have your cake and eat it with candy, too. Tastycake and Hershey's have teamed up to create Kandy Bar Kakes — part perfectly baked cake and part candy, made with quality ingredients.

Kandy Bar Kakes are available in 2.1-oz. single-serve sizes and 5-count multipacks in three varieties: s'mores, made with Hershey's Cocoa; peanut butter, made with Reese's peanut butter; and peppermint, made with York Peppermint flavor.

 SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — According to Nielsen analyses issued Thursday, higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending. 

For sales in 89 categories across five key departments (food, beverages, alcohol, health/beauty and homecare), Nielsen is forecasting spending for November and December 2012 to reach $98.3 billion. Nielsen expects dollar sales to increase 2.3% and unit sales to remain generally flat (0.1%).