In this Issue


Yogurt and yogurt drinks have become a powerhouse category, with Greek-style yogurts boosting category sales. Mintel International Group estimated that category sales reached $4.4 billion across all three channels in 2010, and there is still room for growth.


Overdrive.


Increasingly, chains that traditionally have not been major forces in food retailing are making bigger commitments than ever to fresh — including meat, produce and dairy — in an effort not only to help solve the nation’s growing health crisis and expand Americans’ access to nutritious food options, but also to create new reasons for customers to shop their stores.


Ever see the movie “Pleasantville,” where the kid and his sister get sucked into their TV set and become trapped in a late-1950s sitcom? As the two introduce 1990s sensibilities to inhabitants of the fictitious town, the people and their surroundings slowly transform from black-and-white to color. The film is a metaphor for enlightenment, innovation and discovery.



The sun care segment is in the midst of some significant changes as, years after announcing its intent to improve the labeling of sunscreens, the Food and Drug Administration finally has issued new rules for OTC sunscreen products. For consumers, it should mean less confusion when buying products. For manufacturers, it will mean ensuring that they meet the new labeling and testing requirements.


Delivering fresh food to underserved communities doesn’t necessarily mean giving up shelf space.



NEW YORK — The race is on to capture tomorrow’s click-and-pick shopper — that multichannel consumer who, with a click, wields her phone as an omniscient shopping tool and then either picks her product off the shelf or picks where that product will be waiting for her, be it at a nearby store or in her mailbox. 



Photo-processing is evolving, but it is far from finished. “While consumers are capturing, deleting and electronically sharing more images than ever before, they also are motivated to print larger [photos] and utilize their special images in other product forms,” said Bing Liem, VP sales for Fujifilm North America.


Retailers are finding profit opportunities in the “expressions” market, according to Gary Pageau, publisher of content development and strategic initiatives at the Photo Marketing Association.


Consumables have long been a major component of any drug store’s product mix, but where stores historically have limited their offerings to soft drinks, candy and beer, more of them now are selling fresh produce and prepared foods.