Consumables

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Kellogg's has announced the debut of its latest Crunchy Nut cereal.

New Crunchy Nut caramel nut cereal, which features golden corn flakes drizzled with caramel flavor and topped with real peanuts, now is available at stores nationwide.

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut cereal also is available in roasted nut and honey and golden honey nut varieties, Kellogg's said.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. — Wheat Thins has launched the next phase of its "Do What You Do" advertising campaign.

The two new television ads feature "Saturday Night Live" alumnus and "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan and legendary "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, each enjoying Wheat Thins' new flavors, spicy buffalo and zesty salsa, respectively. The new ads build on the brand's first ad earlier this year, which featured characters from the animated comedy "Family Guy."

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart said Thursday it will reduce prices on groceries by $1 billion in 2012, in hopes to draw customers in and encourage them to cross-shop in other areas of the store.

Walmart had $145 billion in grocery sales last year in the United States, making it the largest player in terms of domestic grocery sales. It says the price reductions in food and consumables are an investment and won’t impact margins ,especially if shoppers respond as planned with additional traffic and loyalty.

PLANO, Texas — A spicier version of Doritos is making its debut.

Doritos Dinamita, a tortilla chip rolled into a taquito-like shape, is aimed at consumers looking to add a touch of spice to their snacking, the company said. Initially introduced in February in select markets in the Midwest, Texas and the western United States, the new product offering will be available at Walmart locations nationwide in Chile Limon and Nacho Picoso flavors.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mass merchandise chain Meijer has acquired a Michigan-based dairy, the company said.

Meijer announced the purchase of Bareman's Dairy, a family-owned company based in Holland, Mich., and the intention of investing more than $8 million into expansion of the plant.

WAYZATA, Minn. — Truvia is expanding its product line to include an item that bakes and browns like sugar.

Truvia Baking Blend, a blend of Truvia natural sweetener and sugar, touts 75% fewer calories per serving than regular sugar but has the equivalent sweetness of 3 lbs. of sugar, the company said. The product is packaged in a 1.5-lb. bag that features a closeable, easy-to-pour spout.

Move over dump bins, endcap displays and newspaper circulars and make room for the new high-tech kid on the retail block — digitization.
Smartphones and the concept of digital coupons may not be so new, but what is relatively new to the mass market and becoming increasingly pervasive throughout the industry is the use of mobile technologies and social networking platforms — by both retailers and manufacturers — to customize offers for today’s shopper.

Carbonated beverage sales may be flat, but new low- and no-calorie introductions, and a bigger marketing spend, could mean the category may have some sparkle left.

PepsiCo is poised to roll out Pepsi Next, a soft drink with 60% less sugar than original Pepsi, designed to appeal to consumers who want the taste of a full-calorie cola but with reduced sugar. The company also is putting hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising behind its carbonated beverage brands in an effort to grab share from archrival Coca-Cola.