General Merchandise

ALLEGAN. Mich. — Business for OTC store brands is expected to boom in the coming year, Perrigo chairman and CEO Joseph Papa told analysts discussing the private-label manufacturer's first-quarter results during a conference call Wednesday, even as the growth rate across the entire OTC category slows. "What we are seeing though, is the continued acceleration of store brand as being the reason why we're seeing the growth in our OTC category. For us to have a 9.4% growth in our OTC category, we think is a strong indication," Papa said. 

UNION BEACH, N.J. — In partnership with the American Red Cross, beginning Nov. 6, the P&G Mobile Relief Center will be stationed in Union Beach, N.J., to provide showers, personal care kits, household products — including Bounty, Charmin, Tide and Dawn — and baby products, including Pampers diapers and wipes, to victims of Hurricane Sandy, Procter & Gamble announced Monday. This service will be free to all victims, responders and their families.

BOSTON — November is national moustache month — or Movember — and Gillette has kicked off its eMO’gency Styler Tour, a quest to help men master their most stylish Mo’s (moustaches).

The tour, which stops in New York City on Nov. 1, Chicago on Nov. 16 and Houston on Nov. 20, will provide complimentary curbside fine-tuning and styling services with Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide Styler, a 3-in-1 facial hair-styling tool that trims, shaves and edges.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart and Sears are offering free shipping for certain online orders as the holiday shopping season approaches.

Sears Holdings, the company that operates the two chains, said customers with orders of $49 or more from Kmart.com, Sears.com and MyGofer.com can receive free shipping. The company cited a recent "Sears Online Holiday Shopping Survey" that found most online shoppers listed shipping costs as their primary frustration with buying gifts online.

TORONTO — Target is supporting up-and-coming Canadian fashion designers through a partnership with the Toronto Fashion Incubator, the company said Tuesday.

Target announced the partnership with the incubator for the annual TFI New Labels fashion-design competition, the winner of which will receive a C$25,000 cash award and will get to have his or her exclusive collection sold in Target stores across Canada in 2014.

SOUTH DEERFIELD, Mass. – The Yankee Candle Co. today announced the launch of its latest limited edition collection — My Favorite Things, inspired by the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein song from the musical "The Sound of Music."

The collection features three new fragrances: Brown Paper Packages, Whiskers on Kittens, and Schnitzel with Noodles. Returning from 2011 are Bright Copper Kettles, Crisp Apple Strudel, and Warm Woolen Mittens.

Retailers are facing challenges in a rapidly changing photo-processing category. One huge shift has been in category leadership. One dominant brand is no longer directing — and pouring advertising dollars into — the category, so retailers need to take a more active role in marketing 
photo processing. 


Another challenge is what to market. Consumers are still ordering prints, but they are increasingly viewing, manipulating and saving their photos online.


DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday 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 baby and personal care products as well as household cleaners, the company stated.