General Merchandise

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is inviting comments from the public as it looks into restricting or even banning menthol in cigarettes, the agency said Tuesday.

The FDA said it had issued an advance notice of proposed rule making, or ANPRM, to obtain information related to potential regulations it might consider. The agency said about 30% of adult smokers and more than 40% of youth smokers report smoking menthol cigarettes.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Discount Drug Mart on Monday implemented Kodak's wireless connectivity for Kodak Picture Kiosks across its more than 70 locations, Kodak announced. With the Wi-Fi functionality on the Kodak Picture Kiosks, consumers can transmit images directly from their smartphones to a Kodak Picture Kiosk while in store. 

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears is offering electronic coupons for back-to-school shopping that it's calling the first of their kind.

The retailer announced Monday that it was the first retailer to offer "eCoupons" that can be redeemed in the store, online and from a mobile device, personalized for members of the Shop Your Way loyalty program based on their interests, style preferences and shopping habits. Members can download the coupons at ShopYourWay.com or through the mobile app and receive rewards like 2% back in points when using their Sears MasterCard.

NEW YORK — Front-end drug store sales are weakening, Credit Suisse reported Monday morning in a research note. 

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.”