General Merchandise

The greeting card category is shifting. Category giants American Greetings and Hallmark face the threat of competition from e-cards and are challenged by increased segmentation of the card category. Hallmark estimates that over the past decade, the number of greeting cards sold in the United States has dropped from 6 billion to 5 billion annually.


The Greeting Card Association reports that while greeting card unit sales have fluctuated over the past several years, the industry continues to generate annual revenues of $7 billion to $8 billion.


MINNEAPOLIS — Novelty gift company 30 Watt introduced its latest prank gift for the outlet-challenged. Billed as a “solution” for hard-to-reach electrical devices, Connect-A-Cord is actually 50 1-ft. sections of extension cord.


The gag gift’s packaging boasts that it “comes with an optional contractor case for tangle-free storage,” but when the recipient opens up the Prank Pack, they will discover the bright yellow flaps inside reading “Prank You!” 


Drug stores, especially chain drug stores, brand themselves differently. But once customers step through the doors, they tend to only see slight variations of the same thing: the same shelves, too tall for mere humans to reach the top without a ladder; the same product categories every other drug store carries; the same pharmacy counter in the back of the store; and the same cash registers in the front. Some stores have carpets, others have tile floors.


The entirety of Rite Aid’s marketing message can really be broken down to just two simple, yet powerful words: 
wellness empowerment. 


It is those two words that have helped inform Rite Aid’s entire wellness platform, from the introduction of its wellness+ loyalty card program in 2010 to the rollout of its new Wellness stores, beginning in 2011. It is those two words that have helped reinvigorate Rite Aid’s business — from how the store is formatted and how it looks, to the energy that pops among Rite Aid’s Wellness Ambassadors. 


RETAILER NEWS — Walgreens launched Ology, a nationally accessible and affordable brand formulated to be free of harmful chemicals. Exclusive to Walgreens’ family of companies, the Ology brand features a line of household cleaners, as well as baby and personal care products. 


LINCOLNSHIRE, Il. — In late 2011, Quill.com began offering Dunder Mifflin paper as part of an innovative licensing agreement with NBCUniversal. The program was a huge success, and now Quill is looking to expand "The Office" product line to feature several more items.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target will unveil an exclusive collection of shoes made by Sam and Libby starting in May 2013, the mass merchandise retailer said Monday.

Target said the partnership with the shoe brand would be ongoing and feature 20 styles of women's footwear with an expanded assortment of colors starting at $24.99.

BETHEL, CT. — Duracell, partnering with Toys for Tots, is looking to "power" jubilant faces this holiday season. The company announced an exclusive sweepstakes on their Facebook page allowing consumers to win some of the holiday's hottest toys while helping those in need.