General Merchandise

NEW YORK — More than one-third of U.S. consumers say they're likely to spend more during the back-to-school season this year, according to a study.

MINNEAPOLIS — Retailer promotion activity continued to grow with a 21.6% increase to more than 11.3 billion pages in the first half of 2013, with Walmart leading in retailer activity followed by Walgreens, Target and Family Dollar, reported Marx, a Kantar Media solution.

CLEVELAND — American Greetings introduced its newest line of greeting cards, Turbo Button, a collection that features lovable characters who dance to music.

Turbo Button is a funny new line of music and motion cards showcasing dancing characters that the receiver controls. The movement or music starts when the receiver opens the card and can be sped up or slowed down by pressing the turbo button. Dancing characters include a kitty, monkey, wrestler and hamster.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Monday announced the launch of its 11th round of price freezes, effective in all 164 stores. 

“Our Prize Freeze program has generated consistent savings for our customers since 2009,” stated Kurt Schertle, Weis Markets’ EVP sales and merchandising. “It is an extremely effective program that helps our customers lock in long-term savings at a time when they are looking for consistently strong values.”

TREVOSE, Pa. — Monistat, an over-the-counter vaginal yeast infection treatment, announced this week a partnership with women's underwear and lingerie brand Hanky Panky to help boost women's confidence when diagnosed with a yeast infection.

Through the partnership, Monistat is offering the chance for women to win Hanky Panky panties through the Sexy Self Panty Giveaway. Now through November 30, a daily winner will be selected from entries on www.monistat.com.

ST. LOUIS — Fancy Feast announced today a new line of cat food made with real cheddar cheese. Coinciding with the launch of the new pet food line is a Pinterest sweepstakes where participants have the chance to win a trip to New York City.

ST. LOUIS — Purina Dog Chow brand dog food this week launched nationwide its new Light & Healthy formula, a new option to help maintain a dog's ideal weight, without giving up portion size or taste.

BOULDER, Colo. — LifePics on Friday announced its integration with Walgreens QuickPrints technology, which will provide its customers greater access to order one-hour photo prints online, through mobile devices or from LifePics-integrated partners, for pick up at any Walgreens location. 

"With our more than 8,000 locations, we look forward to expanding printing options and services for this category," stated Jasbir Patel, senior director of photo, daily living and omnichannel for Walgreens.