General Merchandise

NEW YORK — Despite caution among consumers, retailers wrapped up 2012 with a healthy holiday shopping season, according to a new report by a retailing trade group.

The National Retail Federation said Tuesday that holiday retail sales increased 3% over the year before, to $579.8 billion. December retail sales increased 0.8% seasonally adjusted from November and 2.1% unadjusted year over year. Nevertheless, the 3% increase was still below the NRF's projected 4.1% growth. Meanwhile, nonstore holiday sales grew 11.1%.

Rather than take off for the holidays, the editors of Drug Store News took a look at the year ahead and the trends, issues and headlines that will makes the news in 2013.

What do you think? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join the discussion there, or post your comments on DrugStoreNews.com ... Or, you can pretend it’s still 1999 and email your comments to [email protected]. Just don’t fax us.

NEW YORK — Duane Reade, which is owned by Walgreens, has increased Duane Reade brand hosiery sales by close to 20% thanks to a seven-week social media campaign launched in November to raise awareness of those products — produced by Doris Hosiery Mills.

SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health Division recently introduced Resultix, a spray-on formula that kills attached or crawling ticks. Ticks can infest pets in very large numbers. Resultix is an easy-to-use spray formula that works by dissolving the outer wax layer that covers a tick’s hard shell, killing the parasite within three hours.

Resultix can safely be used as often as needed on crawling or attached ticks. The product is available in an easy-to-transport 20-mL bottle.

HORSHAM, Pa. — Symphony Health Solutions on Tuesday named Frank Lavelle CEO.  

As Seen on TV products continue to command more space on drug store shelves, not only during the holiday season but year-round.

The first quarter of 2013 is looking strong since manufacturers have a number of new products on the market that have already proven popular with consumers.

“Manufacturers have been spending on ads to drive sales, but there have also been some great products,” said Mike Govindani, president of Screen2Store. “The category was strong last year, and business is up again for 2013.”

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Strictly speaking, television is a pulsating blue light, which is why from the outside of a house, it makes it look as though the entire living room or bedroom is glowing blue while turned on. That's the basic principal behind a new device designed to ward off burglars.

FakeTV, manufactured by Hydreon Corp., uses LEDs to simulate the light produced by a television set, using a built-in computer to produce effects that emulate variations in light and color that come from scene changes, camera pans, fades, flicks and on-screen motion.

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle on Thursday announced a new Winter Low Price Lock on hundreds of popular products.