General Merchandise

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar on Thursday announced it is expanding its holiday selection to include hundreds of toys and gifts retailing for $10 or less. 

"We know our customers look to Family Dollar to help them celebrate the holidays," stated Michael Bloom, Family Dollar president and COO. "This year, we are proud to offer an expanded selection of items to make this holiday season even more memorable and budget-friendly."

This holiday season will be both a splurge and save season for toys. Parents will splurge for one or two toys, but will round out their holiday shopping with less expensive items, according to Adrienne Appell, a spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association.


FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Pedigree’s new Dentastix line of oral care products for pets fights “dog breath.” These new Fresh Treats for dogs work to help banish bad breath and help with overall oral care, including tartar control.


Oral care is the No. 1 health issue veterinarians see in dogs. Research from The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition indicates that bad breath can be a sign of such canine oral care issues as gum disease. Advanced, untreated gum disease can be associated with the development of heart and kidney disease, as well as some forms of cancer.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Two new wooden toys that won a contest sponsored by Midwestern mass merchandiser Meijer will be featured exclusively on the retailer's website, the company said Thursday.

Meijer announced the winners of the Meijer Next Great Toymaker contest: Franklin, N.C.-based Circa Toys' Wagon of Blocks and Goshen, Ind.-based Peters' Group's Stick & Stack Cozy Cabin. The Wagon of Blocks, which sells for $69.99, is designed for children ages 1 to 3 years, while the Cozy Cabin, at $44.99, is for children ages 4 to 8 years.

PENWORTHAM, England — Sometimes, in looking for new ideas in the retail industry, it helps to take a peek outside the borders of the United States. 


SUPPLIER NEWS — Procter & Gamble battery brand Duracell assisted with post-Hurricane Sandy relief efforts by bringing a little power to, coincidentally, Battery Park in New York. 


ATLANTA — A majority of retailers say delivering a consistent customer experience is their top priority this holiday season, according to a new survey.

Supply chain and retail technology provider RedPrairie released results of its "Holiday Hiring Snapshot" survey of 250 big-box, specialty, grocery, convenience store and food service retailers based in the United States, finding that nearly 60% cited the importance of consistency, with 29% saying they would hire more seasonal workers this year than last year.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Static Guard has partnered with celebrity fashion stylist Phillip Bloch to launch the year-long Stylist's Secret Weapon Campaign, the company announced Tuesday.

Bloch, who has experience dressing award-winning celebrities for the red carpet, will encourage style mavens across the country to unleash their inner stylista by embracing Static Guard. The partnership between the Hollywood stylist and Static Guard will include several appearances at key fashion and industry film events as well as social media contests and giveaways.