General Merchandise

STAMFORD, Conn.  — Global consumer retail leader, Daymon, expanded its portfolio of services Tuesday  to include national representation, an added service for select suppliers and brands across the United States.

Consumers continue to turn to online and specialty retail channels for their pet care needs, but drug retailers can do more to assist shoppers in making purchasing decisions in store.

How does Lewis Drug thrive in a crowded and super-competitive marketplace? The company’s success formula is no big secret, said Bob Meyer, SVP of merchandise and marketing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to replicate. “[We try] to find niches in the marketplace where we feel we can do better than our competition,” Meyer explained.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Click-and-collect is emerging as a high-growth channel opportuntiy for non-food manufacturers, Global Market Development Center noted in its latest next practice report "Connecting with Click-and-Collect: Strategic Upside for Non-Categories."

 SEATTLE — Amazon has finally reduced the last mile equation to a matter of minutes with its Instant Pickup, a free service offering Prime and Prime Student members a curated selection of daily essentials available for pickup in two minutes or less at five of Amazon’s fully staffed pickup locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Berkeley, Calif., Columbus, Ohio and College Park, Md.

CATONSVILLE, Md. — Suppliers who gain distribution through limited assortment and small format retailers are afforded much larger increases in sales, relative to that from large assortment stores, according to the study "The Effect of Retail Distribution on Sales of Alcoholic Beverages," co-authored by Richard Friberg and Mark Sanctuary of the Stockholm School of Economics.

LOS ANGELES — Breathe, maker of a line of aerosol cleaning products, has launched in Wegmans’ 93 doors, the company announced Tuesday. The line of products is the first aerosol cleaning line certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice Program, the company said.

Breathe products are powered by Starco Brands’ BreatheSafe technology, which doesn’t use such harmful petrochemical propellants as liquefied petroleum gas. Products include stainless steel, furniture, bathroom and multi-surface cleaners.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Mars Petcare is bringing a new high-protein, grain-free line of food to the pet aisle with its new Crave brand. The brand portfolio includes 12 recipes across dry dog, dry cat and wet cat food.