Financial News

NEW YORK — A few months after the split of Kraft Foods into independent, publicly traded companies was announced by the company's chief executive, new details have emerged regarding who will lead the businesses.

Safe and effective. Those are the selling points that homeopathy has been emphasizing with mass consumers, and it’s working. Sales of homeopathic products as measured by SPINSscan across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart) were up 16%, reaching a sales base of $126.1 million. That’s 2.5 times larger than the natural channel, where consumers actually place the fact that a medicine is homeopathic higher up on their 
decision matrix.


Fragrance sales appear to be on the rise, and the outlook looks especially positive with the gifting season upon us.


According to a recent report by market research firm Mintel, drug store sales of fragrances are projected to grow by 1.1% in 2011 to reach $509 million — the first growth of this kind since the start of the recession.


DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday reported November sales of $6.1 billion, an increase of 4.2%, compared with the same month in fiscal year 2011. Sales in comparable stores increased 1.8%.

Total front-end sales increased 4%, with comparable store front-end sales up 2.7%. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 30 basis points and basket size was up 3%.

Sam’s Club has been on a roll the past few years, and an emphasis on health-and-wellness categories has figured prominently into the warehouse club operator’s improved performance.


Recent research indicates that there is a growing natural hair trend among African-American women in the United States, with a shift from relaxed to natural becoming so common that it has sparked growth of those hair care products that help hair “transition.”


The trend is evident in looking at sales of hair relaxer kits at food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart). According to SymphonyIRI Group, sales of hair relaxer kits slipped more than 7% for the 52 weeks ended Oct. 30.


Alkaline batteries are showing tepid growth, and experts expect sales to plunge as much as 3% as fierce competition among manufacturers continues to pressure pricing. More devices are using built-in rechargeable battery systems — another trend hurting primary battery sales.


ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Ingles Markets recorded key increases in its fourth-quarter and full-year results for fiscal year 2011, the retailer announced Monday.

For the fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, net sales increased 5.8% to $905.8 million, compared with the year-ago period, while comparable-store sales (excluding gasoline) rose 2.2%, compared with the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010.