An Ode to Americana: Aladdin Gets NEWstalgic with New Insulated Mason Tumblers
PR Newswire | March 4, 2013

“The combination of nostalgic aesthetic and thoughtful, contemporary features allows Aladdin to infuse new life and new uses into beloved objects such as the mason jar,” explains Jenn Ottele, Aladdin Marketing Manager.

Whether used for poolside cocktails or as a surprising wedding favor, the new Original Insulated Mason Tumbler (MSRP: $12.99) features:
•Classic metal lid, just like the original (plastic lid version, the “Classic,” is also available)
•No-sweat exterior thanks to double-wall insulation
•Generous smoothie-sized straw, perfect for enjoying blended drinks
•Single-serve compatible for making that perfect cup of instant java
•Dishwasher safe and BPA free

The Insulated Mason Tumblers and Insulated Diner Mug will be available spring of 2013 at www.aladdin-pmi.com and stores nationwide.

Avanti Cards Highlight Humor
MMR | February 11, 2013

According to Marc Trobman, vice president of business development, Avanti fills an underserved market segment that he calls branded humor.

“That is, funny greeting cards that are actually branded as funny greeting cards,” he explains. “There are other companies out there that do that, but nobody else creates the kind of content that we do.”

Avanti follows a different kind of game plan, he adds, because it cannot simply offer the same things that big venerable brands in the card business do and hope to succeed.

Instead, Avanti offers cards that feature charming animal characters in exaggerated real-life situations,

He notes that Avanti has conducted consumer research that indicates humorour cards are actually the kind that consumers are looking for most, but his own perusal of mass market – particularly supermarket – sections suggests that branded humor occupies less than 10% of space. “We would contend that the best in class retailers in the category devote more space to branded humor, but they remain a minority,” he says.

Besides the Avanti card line, the company also publishes the A*Press imprint, which offers distinctive humor but with artwork based on graphic illustration rather than photographic images, printed on premium-quality paper.

Avanti’s focus on humor enables it to appeal to an increasingly important consumer demographic: the Millenial generation, ages 18 to 30. According to Trobman, Avanti’s consumer research indicates that a solid 100% of Millenials surveyed prefer humorous cards when making a purchase.

Its focus on humor frees Avanti from having to create thousands of cards to suit hundreds of different occasions or situations.  That enables the company to continuously add new content. About a year ago Avanti introduced a planogram to its customers that allows it to track the performance of its cards and replace slower sellers with better selling content. “That really helped us in 2012, and we’re going to extend it in 2013,” says Trobman.

Visit Avanti Press at the CDMA Spring Expo Booth #506!

Scents Stir Memories of Holidays Past

Genieco Inc., maker of the Gonesh brand of incense and potpourri, sees traditional themes dominating during the holidays. “We focus on classic items and fragrances at this season,” says president Dana Morrison.

Helen Hattabaugh, senior brand manager of Hanna’s Candle Co., concurs of the popularity of cinnamon, adding that many consumers look for scented candles that evoke memories of a particular holiday and even their childhood.

The Hanna’s at Home Fall and Holiday collection includes such fragrances as Candy Corn, Pumpkin Patch, Frosted Sugar Cookie and Cinnamon Sugar.

Avanti Press Release ~ New Items

“These new cards are part of our scheduled refreshment for the Avanti line,” according to Marc Trobman, Avanti’s Vice President of Business Development.  “But there is nothing routine about them. If you look closely at the expressions, the situations, and the verses, I think many of these cards will be strong performers that will earn their space in many Avanti displays in the months ahead.”

Three of the new cards are black and white images – which may be a bit uncharacteristic for the colorful Avanti line, but in this case the strength of the characters color the card sending experience with personality that leaps off the page.

When it comes to high impact color, you can’t beat Avanti’s newest StandOut featuring a cat enjoying a snack on shag blue carpeting. The vivid blues and oranges accentuate the surprise inside, a pop-out smiley face made entirely of cheese puffs, with the verse “Happy Birthday… and all that cheesy stuff!”

Avanti has also published 6 new cards for its illustrated humor collection, A*Press. “This is a chance for us to really have fun with story-telling,” says Avanti’s Director of Customer Relations, Lisa Engler. “Our designers have really out-there ideas taken from real life, with a twist. The line is constantly evolving, and this introduction is full of surprises!”

Vapor Corp’s New Krave King grabs Center Stage of the Smokeless Cigarette Industry
Greenpuffer.com

Targeted Offers Increase Holiday Sales
Independent Retailer | October 12, 2012

Know More About Your Customers – Collect Valuable Data

In order to create and deliver meaningful, targeted offers to your customers you must first tie contact data to a transaction, Deal explains.  There are several ways to get to this information.  Appliance retailers, for instance, can leverage delivery information (name, address, phone number) that tracks back to a purchase.  Other retailers have different options: mailing list forms, business card drops, collecting email as part of the transaction, etc.

For post-sales transactions like rebates, the sky is the limit with the data you can collect.  Besides name, address and email, you might ask:
■How big is their family?
■Do they own a house or rent?
■How many cars do they have?
■Do they do their own repairs?
■Do they have any pets?  How many?

The goal, of course, is to form as complete a profile of a given customer as possible to feed the marketing machine for future offers.  With these techniques, demographic and contact information can be married to send follow-up offers that are based on what your consumers like, where they live, their life situation and more.

Leverage Data and Deliver Targeted Offers to Drive Sales

The real personal touch, however, comes from bringing the previous purchase data into the fold. By combining purchase history data with demographic and contact information, you can craft extremely pertinent offers that deliver on the very valuable proposition: “Hey, we really appreciate you as a customer and we pay attention to your needs, so this offer is especially for you.”

Now that you’ve nailed offer content, you need to get the word out, Deal remarks.  Distribution should cover as many channels as possible. Since independent retailers don’t have the extravagant marketing budgets of the national brands, leveraging email and social media campaigns is a good way to reach a wide audience while keeping your costs in check.  Ideally, you’ve engaged your customer through one of these outlets before, so your holiday offer communication is perceived as continuation of a dialogue instead of spam.

Make Your End-of-Year Promotions Count – Partner with a Professional and Knowledgeable Incentive Company

A structured, pervasive data marketing strategy is central to positioning your value among the frenzy.  But you don’t have to go it alone, Deal points out.  There are firms with extensive promotional and data experience that can help guide you and give you the tools to execute. These firms leverage standard platforms and resources to give smaller retailers economies of scale so they can get affordable promotional services despite being independent.

Between gift giving and trying to take advantage of sales for their own benefit, the holiday season can be overwhelming for consumers.  Retailers can break through all the noise, stimulate additional purchases before year end, and build a lasting relationship with their customers by giving them offers that demonstrate they understand their customers’ needs and are there to meet those needs.

Holiday Gift Ideas
Independent Retailer  | August 1, 2012

Founded in 1999 as All Fun Gifts, the company recently rebranded to better reflect its offerings to customers and vendors. “We offer a lot more services,” explains Chad Kletschka, product manager. “Now we sell to national and regional chains, and work with other wholesalers and distributors nationally and internationally.” With more than 8,000 products in 50 categories, AFG Distribution caters to a large number of businesses, including tobacco outlets, convenience stores, clothing boutiques, spas and novelty retailers. “We sell posters, tapestries, blankets and stickers, and a lot of our merchandise has images of pop culture figures and classic rock icons,” Kletschka continues. “We have games, puzzles and fun gifts, incense and body care products, handmade jewelry and a large line of smoking accessories.” A digital copy of the 2012 catalog is available on the company’s website.

“Clothing is good for the holiday season and will do well for us,” Kletschka points out. “We carry a full line of tee shirts with classic rock icons and other fun images, and we’ve added new shirts, jackets, hoodies, funky belts, bags and purses that will be popular.” Also in time for the holidays, AFG is selling a complete line of beer pong products. “The beer pong market has blown up in the last few months and is becoming more popular, and e-cigarettes are another growing segment,” Kletschka adds.

As people are becoming more environmentally conscious, AFG Distribution is even more committed to offering fair trade and Earth friendly merchandise as well. “We’ve been working with a number of vendors to carry items that are licensed fair trade, so customers know they are supporting a retail system that is giving back with good wages and good living conditions.” All AFG Distribution’s products offer good profit margins, Kletschka adds. “We consider end consumers and retailers when we set our pricing, so they can be prosperous and happy. Customers looking to buy large quantities can work out individual pricing. We’re always willing to work with customers in this respect.”

Also great for holiday sales is the line of outdoor leisure and home entertaining products from Picnic Time, now in its 30th year doing business. “We started with traditional European-style picnic baskets and have expanded our line with innovative and practical outdoor leisure products that inspire people to spend quality time with family and friends,” says Scott McCormack, director of Sales and Marketing. The company’s extensive line includes barbeque sets and accessories, outdoor furniture, coffee and gardening totes, putting sets, coolers and backpacks. The Big Ben picnic backpack, for example, comes with an integrated, exterior double-bottle wine pouch and all the amenities needed for a picnic for four.

“Coolers are a big item. Our party cube cooler, which retails for $59 to $69, is a soft sided, 72 can capacity cooler on a stand. Other big sellers are beach products and tailgating items like the aluminum seat/side table,” McCormack notes. “The biggest trend for us has been the uptick in our sports licensed products.” Many Picnic Time products are available with a choice of 32 NFL teams and 96 collegiate logos. “We’ve seen tremendous growth in this category over the last few years, and our sports chair is one of our top products. It has magazine pockets, utility pockets, insulated beverage holders and a built in tray table.” The sports chair retails for $79 to $89, depending on whether it’s a licensed product. “The two most popular categories at holiday season are our cheese sets and wine totes. Wine totes retail from $9.99 to $79, and cheese sets retail from $15 to $70,” McCormack reports.

Another wholesaler (new to U.S. retailers) whose products are sure to bring amusement to the holidays is Canada’s own, Pook. A night of boyish fun that ended with Tony Pook parading around with a Canadian wool sock on his head was the unexpected beginning for the Pook Toque™ knitted sock hat, and the company’s subsequent line of warming gear. Pook Toque, founded by Pook and lifelong friend, Kevin McCotter, also distributes Pook Dukes™ mittens, fleece lined Pook Loop™ scarves, licensed Hockey Sockey Toques, the Pookie Toquie™ hat for babies, Pook Lite, Pook™ the Monkey sock toys, and Pook Boots, Canadian wool work socks with added fleece lining. All products are made from the wool work sock.

Located in Stratford, Ontario, Pook is now wholesaling merchandise in the U.S. as well as its homeland. In Canada, the company’s most popular product has been the Pook Toque with ears, which transforms into hundreds of styles. Pook’s website posts a flowchart of Pook styling, but to fully appreciate the genius of the man behind the hat, one can view the YouTube video in which Pook himself fashions the bowler for martinis and appetizers, the Donald Trump Comb over, use your imagination, the Robinhood and other varieties. The mittens are a close second to Pook Toque in popularity, McCotter adds. “Most of our buyers are women, and when they buy a hat for their son or husband they usually buy a pair of mitts for themselves. The mitts have a polar fleece lining, so they are super warm.”

Pook adds new products each year, expanding with Hockey Sockey Toques this past year. “Getting the NHL license was a pretty good score,” McCotter stresses. “We’re one of only two companies allowed to make headwear in Canada with the NHL logos.” Pook is hoping to expand its NHL license agreement and create hats with U.S. hockey team logos in the future. This year, however, Pook is introducing a new toque fleece lining, patterned after the red and black plaid worker’s shirt, which will be a bit flashier and more rustic than the current fleece, McCotter says. “And we’re going to start selling socks in different colors. We never actually sold socks, we just bought them and made them into different things,” he explains. “We’re going to have them in different multi-colors, and I think they will be popular for the holidays.” Pook Monkeys, locally handmade at present, also are expected to be holiday favorites. “We haven’t started wholesaling the monkeys yet, but we hope to have them available wholesale for the fall.” Wholesale price is $12 for any one item and retail is around $24.99 for most merchandise, with socks priced around $15 for two pairs. Minimum order is 25 items in any combination. The Pook Toque style flowchart is available in a large, laminated poster for POP display, as well as a DVD showing how to work the toque.

Wholesale price is $12 for any one item and retail is around $24.99 for most merchandise, with socks priced around $15 for two pairs. Minimum order is 25 items in any combination. The Pook Toque style flowchart is available in a large, laminated poster for POP display, as well as a DVD showing how to work the toque.

Another novel line of gifts sure to captivate youngsters and oldsters alike comes from The Patent Magic Plant. The company manufactures, brands and brings to market a patented line of Nature’s Greeting products and Magic Plants, including flowers, trees, herbs and hot pepper, and Plant Treasures for kids. According to owner Eric Hadad, who launched The Patent Magic Plant in 2009, the company’s biggest seller is the Nature’s Greeting plant.

Each plant sprouts with a message like “I Love You,” “Happy Birthday” and “Thank You.” “We offer a new generation of products,” Hadad stresses. “Instead of spending $3.99 on a traditional greeting card that will be thrown away, people can add a dollar or two and give a living greeting card that can grow forever. It’s magic,” Hadad jests. “Actually, we grow our own beans and we use a new technology to engrave the messages.” While “I Love You” is a best seller year round, Hadad says “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays” and “Happy New Year” messages are popular with retailers as they prepare for fourth quarter sales. Another line Hadad anticipates will be popular for the holiday season is Magic Plant Treasures. These plants grow with animal pictures and names, and are available in dinosaur, insect, ocean and zoo worlds. “These are great gifts for kids,” Hadad notes, “and the hot chili pepper is a great gift for men and it’s selling like crazy.” Another product that will make a great stocking stuffer, Hadad points out, is the Lotto Plant, which grows lucky seven lottery numbers. While The Patent Magic Plant already has a vast line of novelty gift items, it continues to expand, adding three to five items each year. Wholesale price for each item is $2.50, and retail ranges from $5.99 to $9.99. The company offers volume discounts on quantities of 1,000 pieces or more, and every 12 pieces come in a free display box.

My Shopping Tree offers another gift line ideal for the holidays, specializing in personalized “bling” products for animals, including dogs, horses and those of the human variety. The company’s located in Denison, TX and sells collars, charms for collars, and leashes for dogs; halters, charms for halters and bridles for horses; and for people, baseball caps, bracelets and accessory straps for backpacks and purses. “We offer nice gift products at a great pricing point that gives retailers a good profit margin,” says Shannon Albert, owner, who has been doing business since 2006. “In an economy when people can’t afford to buy a lot of expensive items, they’ll buy a cute $20 collar for their dog and it makes them happy,” she points out.

My Shopping Tree recently introduced a line of Swarovski crystal horse brow bands, available in black leather with clear crystals and dark brown leather with pink crystals. “They are really beautiful,” Albert says. “We’re also adding a line of high-end horse halters, and I’m looking at some high-end dog collars that can be personalized. Plus we always get new charms in. We are the only company that offers personalized horse halters with crystal letters and charms,” she adds. “Our merchandise is very hot at the holiday season because you can give a personalized gift for a small amount of money.”

“Anything personalized seems to fly off the shelf for Christmas, including our personalized people bracelets.” Leather bracelets come in a variety of colors and can personalized with the company’s 6 mm slide on letters. Bracelets wholesale for $1.50 apiece and 6 mm letters are $5.50 for a pack of ten. “We recommend retailers sell the bracelet and five letters as a package for $10, but the retail price varies greatly depending on the market,” Albert notes. My Shopping Tree continues to grow its product line with innovative items for people, dogs and horses. And as one of the largest breeders of Fell ponies (a rare breed) in the country, the company has no shortage of models for its expanding equine line.

With fun and trendy gift merchandise, including unique clothing, beer pong games, funky warming gear, personalized plants, upscale outdoor and indoor leisure products and bling for all species, retailers have many gift options as they prepare for the holidays. The fact that many wholesalers are exhibiting at ASD in Las Vegas, and offering special promotions, is an added bonus.

IdeaVillage Turns Up Volume On Holiday TV Support For Mobile Speaker Lineup
Homeworld Business | September 17, 2012

The Music Bullet, a compact desktop speaker, showcases a special pop-up expansion function that allows it to increase the bass output.

The Music Bullet, carrying a $19.99 retail price, also can be used to convert a mobile phone into a speakerphone. The unit is equipped with a 20-inch retractable cord, comes with a USB charger and runs up to seven hours on a charge. The Boom Cube keychain speaker can be used with portable media players, including digital music players, cell phones and tablets.

“There will be 75 million mobile devices out there with the opportunity for mini speakers,” said Jane Gilmartin, IdeaVillage’s vp/merchandising.

“We spent a lot of time to develop high quality speakers, benchmarking against well-known industry competitors. We want the depth of sound, not just the volume.”

Meanwhile, IdeaVillage is seeing solid early sales for several other back-half introductions, including Shimmer glitter tattoos, the Bright Light Pillow illuminating pillow and Stompeez pop-up animal character slippers.

Shimmer is a system of stencils and body glitter for creating professional-style body art.  Users press the stencil on the body or face, brush on the included patented adhesive and apply the glitter with the included brush.  The system is hypoallergenic.

The Bright Light Pillow is embedded with long-lasting LED lights and comes in two styles: a white Starlight Square that automatically cycles through several colors, such as red, blue, white, green and yellow; and the Pink Beating Heart with a pulsing red light.

The plush-style pillow is squeezed to activate the stay-cool LED lights, which shut off automatically after 10 minutes.  The Bright Light Pillow has a $19.99 retail price.

In addition, Stompeez slippers from IdeaVillage feature plush animal characters whose mouths pop open with every steop.

Available in small and medium children’s sizes, the Stompeez collection showcases eight characters: Sir Mystical Monster; Growlin’ Dragon; Be-Bop Bunny; Unusual Unicorn; Perky Puppy; Playful Puppy; All-Blue Puppy; and Peek-A-Boo Kitty. Stompeez slippers are priced to retail for $19.99 a pair.

Rising Holiday Sales
Independent Retailer
October, 2012

ShopperTrak founder, Bill Martin, says, “Our shopper visit data tells us that consumers are visiting more stores than last year. This influx of traffic will present opportunities for retailers to convert these visitors into buyers, especially with the extended holiday shopping season.”

ShopperTrak measures foot traffic in more than 50,000 locations in the U.S., and analyzes the data in a proprietary, econometric model to create its ShopperTrak National Retail Sales Estimate™ (NRSE) of general merchandise, apparel and accessories, furniture, and other sales (GAFO). Its estimates have been accurate to within a three percent margin since January 2005.

NPF: Halloween Frightens The Dollars Out OF More Consumers
Homeworld Business
September 26, 2012

The proportion of U.S. consumers celebrating Halloween is the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history, the organization stated, adding that it expects shoppers to spend about $8 billion for the holiday.

Is all the furor over e-cigarettes just a lot of hot air, er, vapor?
USA Today
September 18, 2012

The latest, a small Greek study presented earlier this month, says the small battery-operated devices may damage the lungs, but research unveiled in August says they don’t harm the heart. Other studies this summer cite potential hazards, including a second-hand effect from their vapor.

People who use e-cigarettes say they don’t smoke but “vape” since the devices heat nicotine into a vapor they inhale. Many see the cigarette lookalikes, which contain no tobacco and far fewer chemicals, as safer so they’re using them to quit smoking or circumvent smoke-free laws.

But are they? Some researchers say they may addict kids to nicotine while others argue they may do more good than harm.

What’s clear, though, is that plummeting prices are making e-cigarettes an increasingly popular and less expensive alternative to cigarettes. U.S. sales are expected to hit 5 million this year, up from 50,000 units in 2008, according to Thomas Kiklas, director of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry group.

Each unit, which has three parts — battery, charger and nicotine-containing cartridge — now sells for about $21, down from at least $200 three years ago, says Jerry Newton, owner of Earth N Ware in Orange, Calif., which sells them and cigarettes. He says his replacement cartridges, which provide about as much nicotine as a pack and a half of cigarettes, cost $3 each.

Young adults view e-cigarettes positively, and half say they’d try them if offered by a friend, particularly because they come in flavors, according to a University of Minnesota study published online in July in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers interviewed 66 Americans, ages 18 to 26, about snus (a Swedish type of smokeless tobacco), dissolvable tobacco products and e-cigarettes, which come in bubble gum, cherry and chocolate flavors.

“There’s a danger e-cigarettes could lure in kids who might not otherwise smoke,” says anti-smoking activist John Banzhaf, a professor at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. He pushed for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate them.

The FDA, after finding trace amounts of toxic and carcinogenic ingredients in several samples, sought to regulate e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices. A federal judge ruled in 2010 that it lacked such authority, so the FDA is moving to regulate them as tobacco products.

Yet researchers from the University of Athens in Greece found e-cigarettes caused breathing problems or “significant airway resistance” after 10 minutes of use in eight non-smokers and 11 smokers with normal lung function. They found no immediate lung effect in the 13 smokers tested who have either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“This research helps us to understand how these products could be potentially harmful,” study co-author Christina Gratziou said in announcing the findings Sept. 2.

Another peer-reviewed study found e-cigarettes may emit aerosols, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and nicotine, posing a “passive vaping” risk to bystanders. The study, by German researchers, appeared in July in Indoor Air.

Nonsense, an industry group says. “There’s no smoke. It’s water vapor. You don’t smell anything,” says Kiklas. “There’s no there there” to the argument of harmful vapor, he says.

Kiklas says e-cigarettes contain only five ingredients: nicotine, water, glycerol, propylene glycol (used in inhalers) and flavorings. He says the samples FDA tested a few years ago had minuscule amounts of other ingredients, but the products have improved.

He says U.S. retailers try not to sell to kids, and he rebuffs the argument that sweet flavorings are meant to lure them, adding nicotine gum also comes in cherry.

“The amount of good we’re doing is phenomenal,” he adds, because the devices help thousands of people quit cigarettes. “The technology works. Smokers have embraced it.”

Celebrities, so often trendsetters, have been seen vaping on screen. In The Tourist,Johnny Depp took puffs from a slim stick, saying, “It’s not a real cigarette — it’s electronic.”

On the Late Show in 2010, actress Katherine Heigl whipped out her electronic cigarette, telling David Letterman it helped her stop smoking: “You’re blowing out water vapor, so you’re not harming anyone around you and you’re not harming yourself. I’m essentially humidifying the space.”

He and two co-researchers found that two-thirds, or 67%, of the 222 smokers queried said they smoked less after using e-cigarettes for six months and nearly a third, or 31%, said they kicked the tobacco habit.

Greek researchers from the Athens-based Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center also found a potential upside. They tracked the heart activity of 20 young people after smoking one cigarette and 22 after seven minutes of e-cigarette use. They found “significant” cardiac disruptions only for the smokers.

“Substituting tobacco with electronic cigarettes may be beneficial to health,” Konstantinos Farsalinos told the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich on Aug. 25.

Others are more skeptical. “We’re not saying they’re safe or unsafe. We just don’t know. The responsible research needs to be done,” Abrams says, adding that FDA-approved nicotine-replacement devices have been thoroughly tested.

His Legacy colleague, pulmonologist Nathan Cobb, says there are quality-control issues with e-cigarettes, almost all of which are imported from China. He says nicotine levels vary widely and contamination can occur with propylene glycol, which is used in a variety of products including inhalers and as an antifreeze.

“We’re still trying to understand what happens when people inhale them,” Cobb says. As for smoking cessation, he says, “Some e-cigarettes might be effective, some might not.”

Unlike cigarettes, these devices are not federally taxed, although some states are moving to impose their own taxes. An increasing number of cities and states are banning e-cigarette use in smoke-free places. Amtrak has banned their use on trains, and the Navy banned them below decks in submarines. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a ban aboard airplanes because of concerns about health risks from the vapors.

Some who use them find them helpful. Newton, 63, says he was a chain-smoker for 51 years despite repeated efforts to quit. On Aug. 16 last year, when he started using the electronic device, he took his last smoke from a real cigarette.

“My brain thinks it’s still smoking,” he says, referring to the nicotine effect from e-cigarettes. “But my smokers’ cough is gone. I feel a lot better.”

LED Technologies Makes Mass Market Push For Its DPL Light Therapy Products
Homeworld Business
May, 2012

LED Technologies’ DPL Therapy System isn’t cheap, even in its less-expensive hand-held form, but it has advantages that consumers can plainly understand, if the information is brought to them. The challenge is to create an understanding of the system’s efficacy, Ferguson acknowledged, but one that the light-therapy sector is addressing.

Ferguson said that compelling scientific evidence exists that backs the claim that LED light can treat aches, acne and wrinkles. In fact, the devices he has developed gained United States Food and Drug Administration approval to treat those conditions. Indeed, the company said the DPL Therapy System is the first and only over-the-counter product line that has been FDA approved for the three distinct indications of pain, wrinkles and acne.

Yet, that isn’t the only thing that weighs in favor of light therapy. Perhaps even more persuasive, Ferguson suggested, are scientific studies including one by NASA that back the effectiveness of light therapy.

Ferguson certainly found the NASA evidence convincing. A few years ago, he was working in the investment community when he discovered the agency’s paper. In 2004, it led him to take on a partner and begin developing an LED light therapy system he could bring to the commercial market. LED therapy existed, but the machines used for treatment cost thousands of dollars, Ferguson said. He wanted to create a product that a broad range of consumers could afford.

The initial product used paired plates with LED lights built in that could be spread across a back or fastened on either side of a knee.

The challenge that Ferguson immediately confronted was the consumer lack of experience with LED light therapy. To address that challenge, Ferguson and company went the infomercial route.

“The infomercial went fairly well,” he said. “And it brought us catalog customers and distributors. So, we dropped the infomercial and went with catalogs and distributors.”

Since then, the DPL Therapy system has appeared in Hammacher Schlemmer, Sharper Image and other outlets, Ferguson said, and has broadened distribution since the company developed a phase two product. The new DPL Therapy system is a wand with a rounded light-generating surface, so it appears like a massaging shower nozzle. The new system has certain advantages in flexibility of application and a substantial advantage in price, as it is priced to retail at $160.

The DPL Therapy System takes an approach that is consistent with several trends in a marketplace where many consumers are looking for alternatives to traditional treatments they believe may be hazardous. So LED Technologies is touting it as a natural, non-invasive, drug-free approach to pain management, acne care and aging skin. Further, a purchase is an investment, as the single pay out for a DPL Therapy product can curtail or eliminate costs associated with other treatments.

“This year, on QVC, we’ve been doing well and twice sold out in our two appearances,” Ferguson said. “First, we sold out 350, then we sold out 1,050. Now, they just ordered 1,750 for May.”

The DPL Therapy System also is available in niche retailers and a major specialty store operator is preparing a 30-store test, he noted. Yet, for all the progress LED Technologies has made in selling consumers on its light therapy system, Ferguson conceded the company has more work to do. So, to get word out to the larger mass-market audience, the company is going back to its beginnings and readying an infomercial. The company also is prepared to use new marketing channels to explain the advantages of LED light treatment to consumers.

“There are tons of scientific and critical studies, and we use them in education. One stumbling block is getting the information to consumers. So you can do an infomercial and a combination of audio and visual to get the point across. We also can do that on YouTube,” Ferguson said.

He said the market is out there and is developing, and he even speaks approvingly of the light therapy competition that has emerged in the marketplace, as, right now, the benefit of more voices touting the technology outweighs the potential loss of sales to rival products. Even with its not-insignificant price, LED Technologies’ DPL Therapy products have gained wider acceptance, which makes Ferguson optimistic.

“Through the bad economy, we’ve made it with growing sales on our basic selling points,” he said. “It’s all natural, and a lot of people are sick of health insurance and chemicals to make them feel better. There are lots of avenues to convince consumers that this works and is good for you and may be better than pills. It’s a unique proposition.”

By Lisa Cowley | Homeworld Business | August 2012

dbest products is honored to be awarded the Innovation Award for the Smart Cart by Housewares Executive.

“We say ‘life is tough we make it easier’ and we achieve this by constantly improving quality and developing unique and innovative features that improves the quality of the consumers experience with dbest products,” said Richard Elden, president and CEO of dbest products.

dbest products strives to be the market leader in a specialized niche of innovative collapsible carts. The criteria for this award was that the product had to be innovative and a solution for storage. Out Smart Carts do just that and this award validates our efforts to produce quality and unique products to make life easier for its consumers.

If you’d like to learn more about useful and eco-friendly products, please email us at info@dbestproducts.net! We’d love to hear from you.

Read the original post here

People Willing to Spend Money on Their Pets
MMR
July 23, 2012

Cat and dog good remain huge and growing segments, with $2.44 billion and $3.82 billion in annual dollar sales, respectively. Sales of wet cat food grew 4.1% in mass for the 12-month period ended March 18, according to SymphonyIRI Group Inc., while dry cat food sales slipped 2.5% over the same period.

Just as the natural trend grows for human, so it does for pets. Last fall Procter & Gamble Co.’s Iams brand entered the holistic natural pet nutrition arena with Iams Simple & Natural as well as Iams Sensitive Naturals. These innovative items are formulated with no corn, wheat or soy, and no meat by-products.

The trend toward natural products is not limited to pet food, notes as spokesman for Wahl Clipper Corp. For example, when it comes to pet grooming products, consumers are paying more attention to ingredients used in shampoos and other items.

Mass retailers have developed programs that cater to the pet owner demographic. For example, last year A&P launched a Preferred Pet Club program, offering exclusive discounts to members.

Kroger Co. not only offers a full line of pet products from food to toys to shampoo to medicine, but also pet insurance through an affiliate company.

Outlook Upbeat on B-T-S Sales
MMR
July 23, 2012

In 2011 only 48% of shoppers said they expected to spend as much as $500.

Meanwhile, ShopperTrak, a firm that counts and analyzes retail foot traffic, says it expects retail sales in August to increase by 4% over last year and for foot traffic in the nation’s retail outlets to grow by 1.5%.

Besides the 63% of shoppers who plan to spend as much as $500 this year, PriceGrabber’s research found that 20% of consumers expect to spend between $500 and $1000 on B-T-S items.

The most recent PriceGrabber findings come on the hells of the company’s earlier research that found that nearly half of consumers plan to spend more this B-T-S shopping season than they spent in 2011.

Forty percent of the respondents said they expect to purchase a technology item this year.

Meanwhile, ShopperTrak predicts that this year will be one of the best B-T-S retail seasons in a while.

“This is an important shopping period, and retailers have struggled during back-to-school seasons the past few years,” founder Bill Martin comments. “The tide will turn for retailers this year.”

dbest products is honored to be awarded a Members’ Choice Awards for the Smart Cart by Do it Best Corp at the Do it Best May Market™.

“Receiving recognition for our innovative Smart Cart helps to compliment our record breaking sales as we continue to expand this range,” said Richard Elden, president and CEO of dbest products.

There were approximately 1000 items in the New Idea Room and it is a privilege to be acknowledged. This award is a testament of dbest products growth and popularity for those looking for a conveniently durable but light collapsible cart. dbest products will continue to make life easier for its consumers and build a strong partnership with Do it Best’s members.

If you’d like to learn more about useful and eco-friendly products, please email us at info@dbestproducts.net! We’d love to hear from you.

Read the original post here

By Diane Falvey | Homeworld Business | April 2012

‘Wear’ It’s At
Party & Paper Retailer
By Warren Berkowitz | Forum Novelties

No matter what the season or occasion, there seems to be an increasing demand for items that can be worn in connection with the occasion. This makes sense, as although paper goods such as plates, napkins, utensils and decorations are the mainstay of the party industry, many of the occasions and holidays that we celebrate are not done in the home.

It is far more often that a bachelorette party occurs in a club or restaurant/bar than in a private home. We also note there is a trend to have the parties on the road, such as destination locations like Las Vegas.

Who could argue that most celebrating of Mardi Gras and St Patrick’s Day happens in the streets or bar? And pub crawls in which people dress like Santa or other characters also are enjoying more popularity.

Therefore, items such as tiaras, boas, hats, sashes and necklaces should form a large part of the selection already available in the party industry. I have focused on wearables when developing new items for Forum Novelties and have found them to be the fastest growing product line in the industry. I have even packaged these items consistently with my other items in each category so that they display better together.

For years Halloween has been associated with an endless selection of items to be worn. But now more than ever, even Christmas is enjoying a further expansion of unusual wearables as well. There is a demand for items beyond the usual hats, suits and headbands that we associate with the holiday.

If you have some free time, go online and search the phrase “Ugly Christmas Sweaters.” You may be surprised to find a large selection of sweaters and vests for sale. I am not implying that these sweaters are ugly, I am just stating that there is a market for festive and fun sweaters with a specific Christmas theme. Once you research this category you will see just how large this trend has become, and up until now, the only place to find these were at a local thrift shop. However, more recently the demand has exceeded the supply, and companies – even those like ours – are making them available.

Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day have always been “wearable” holidays, but now the customers are demanding even more creative products. Hats, necklaces, suspenders and belts are now being made to include shot glasses as part of the products.

Another important point about wearables is that it broadens your customer base. Usually the only customer you have coming into the store is the one creating the party; there is no reason for a guest to be shopping for paper plates. But everyone wants to participate in the fun, and therefore they are all potential customers for hats, tiaras, sashes and other items.

I also suggest you team up with local bars and restaurants to promote these holidays. Offer a reciprocal arrangement whereby you have discount coupons placed in these restaurants where the parties are held and offer to have their discount coupons available in your store as well. You may even be able to wholesale some of your items to these bars that want to give them away to their customers.

So while the saying “take it off” usually gets the most attention, in this case, the more you put on, the more fun the customer has and the more profit you make.

Happy Merry Holidays
Party & Paper Retailer
By Abby Heugel | Managing Editor

Do you say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”? Display religious icons or Santa?

What’s appropriate has evolved over the past seasons, and with the ever-growing melting pot of cultural and religious beliefs, it can be confusing for retailers to predict exactly what will sell when it comes to winter holidays.

Each store and location will have their own selection depending on their customer base, but a mixture of tradition and trendy is one sure way to keep those register bells jingling throughout the winter season.

At Party Time in Horseheads, N.Y, they have partnered up with a local photographer and set up their entranceway with Santa to offer pictures taken right there at the store, but they make sure to address both sides of the holiday spectrum.

“As an independent store I carry an 8- to 12-foot section of religious Christmas with scene setters, costumes, decorations, favors and more, which really sets us apart from the chain stores out there,” said Owner R.C. Ike. “This is such a debate and both sides feel strongly on the issue, so we have both and feel they sell equally as well.”

They also try to have a balance of “Merry Christmas” and ” Happy Holidays” merchandise at The Lippman Co. in Portland, Ore., and feel they do better with the latter.

“‘Happy Holidays’ seems to cover a wider range of our clientele,” said Josh Good, office manager. “The big item last year was anything snowflake – cutouts, hanging glitter snowflakes, anything decorative with a snowflake on it flew out the door. Artificial snow was also a large seller.”

He added that on the costume end of it, they can never have enough Santa suits to meet demand, and Santa hats, glasses and beards will sell out as well.

“As we are also a balloon shop, I feel I should mention the interlocking snowflake and poinsettia Mylar balloons that we sell so much of,” Good added. “On the Christmas end, I wouldn’t be caught without a large stock of the traditional ‘Christmas Crackers’- tubes wrapped in colorful paper that contain a prize. We did very well with them.”

“However, we have seen a resurgence of ‘Merry Christmas’ and it’s becoming more popular again,” said Brenda Boyer of Carlson Craft. “Some of our best selling cards have ‘Merry Christmas’ on the front, even in our albums that offer more business to business cards.”

Boyer said they continue to see traditional themes and designs such as trees, wreaths, snowflakes, etc. selling on personalized cards, but that they’ve put a twist on some by offering them on a fun paper color or by giving the design a contemporary look.

“Our 2012 holiday line includes more cards made with shimmer papers, colored papers and foil embossed designs,” Boyer said. “And not just in the traditional “Christmas” colors, but also different colors like blue, copper, cocoa and silver. We offer more cards with silver accents, but this year, we are including more gold foil than we have in the past few years. We think gold will be making a comeback.”

George White of Up With Paper said he does expect to see more “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings” messages in the market overall, including party and greeting cards, and that they have a unique way to address that with many of their card designs.

“We include multiple message tags so that consumers can choose the message they want, including ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy Holidays’ and ‘Season’s Greetings,’ as well as a blank tag for personalization,” White said. “And for the first time this year, we are also including multiple language tags (Spanish, French and German) on a couple of our designs as a test to see how that is received.”

Although Christmas is their most traditional holiday, White said there are always fresh takes and that owls are trending up significantly and will be seen a lot at Christmas. In addition, the use of dogs, cats and snowmen will again be everywhere.

Holiday Mixers
At PlumParty.com, President and Creative Director Risa Meyer expects to see a lot of vintage-inspired holiday themes. With the Mad Men craze as strong as ever, and with fashion introducing so many styles that reflect the styles of the ’40s and ’50s, this retro craze will influence holiday décor.

“In addition to the traditional colors, we are introducing personalized holiday napkins, cups, coasters and lollipops in pastels, such as light pink and baby blue,” Meyer said. “We will also use a metallic script font script reminiscent of ‘I love Lucy’ to personalize the party supplies.”

Ike said he has always seen the poinsettia and holly patterns do well, and for a more juvenile theme Santa and snowman do great. There has also been a large increase in placemats, rectangle doilies and coloring placemats, not just at Christmas but many other seasons.

“The ‘mini’ collection from King Zak has been a great hit as well,” Ike added. “And it works so well with weddings, showers, ladies gatherings, wine tastings, and so much more than just holidays.”

Applicability and cross-merchandising is key, as no retailer wants to be left with large amounts of seasonal overstock. Mixing in pastel and bold solids with gold and silver holiday accents is an easy way to combine seasonal with everyday, and White recommends retailers merchandise by look rather than by manufacturer or price point, such as displaying a grouping of owl products or snowmen, etc.

“Christmas sell-through in 2011 was significantly better than 2010, so retailers came into the winter show season in a very positive frame of mind,” White added. “I expect to see more retailers offering a greater variety and buying a bit deeper in 2012, as there is renewed confidence in the market – confidence that is justified based on the sales we are seeing in the first quarter of this year.”

In other words, whether the sentiment is “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas,” it looks to be a season of retail success.

“Be it known that I, William Stanley … have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat-Insulated Receptacles,” wrote the founder of Stanley Bottles in an application to the United States Patent Office. His innovation, discovered while he experimenting with welding, was to insulate vacuum bottles with metal instead of glass. “The common vacuum receptacle has its shells or walls constructed of glass and accordingly such receptacles are very liable to breakage and cannot withstand hard usage,” he noted.

By 1915, the Stanley company was mass-producing metal-insulated vacuum bottles. They were quickly adopted by the U.S. military, and the bottles were commonly carried aboard B-52 bombers in World War II. In 1995 William Stanley was inducted to the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame for his work on over 129 patents

Most shoppers stray from lists for impulse buys, study finds
Drug Store News | By Allison Cerra

Among those who strayed from their shopping lists, 66% of them said were motivated by a sale or promotion, 30% said they found a coupon and 23% wanted to

To download “The Checkout,” visit Integer’s blog, ShopperCulture.com.

IdeaVillage Steps Into Spring With New Product Lines
Homeworld Business | April 2012

Stompeez slippers from IdeaVillage feature plush animal characters whose mouths pop open with every step. Available in small and medium children’s sizes, the Stompeez collection showcases eight characters: Sir Mystical Monster; Growlin’ Dragon; Be-Bop Bunny; Unusual Unicorn; Perky Puppy; and Peek-A-Boo Kitty.

HD Vision Cristal is the latest addition to IdeaVillage’s HD Vision sunglass line, which features optical-quality lenses said by the company to provide sharper color and clarity while blocking glare and ultraviolet rays as well or better than costlier sunglasses. The HD Vision Cristal series showcases rose-colored, high-definition lenses with UV400 protection.

HD Vision Cristal sunglasses retail for $9.99.

Regional Drug Chains A Source of Innovation
MMR

Those companies comprise a vibrant segment of the industry whose top-performing members manage to combine some of the strengths of retailers at both ends of the spectrum to develop offerings that meet the specific needs of their customers.

Navarro Discount Pharmacy is a case in point. Founded by Cuban immigrants, the retailer, which recently opened its 30th store, has built its business by catering to the Hispanic population in South Florida.

Executives say some retailers in the United States with large numbers of Hispanic customers and others in Latin America have expressed interest in carrying Vida Mia, with Navarro acting as a wholesaler. The initiative shows how regional chains can leverage their experience in local markets to create opportunities.

Navarro and Lewis exemplify the dynamism that continues to characterize the best regional drug chains. That quality will enable those companies and similar retailers to ensure that the segment of the market they occupy remains a fertile source of innovation.

What Lies Ahead for Retailers
MMR

To do so, chains should focus on four areas: format innovation, “curated” merchandising, shopping experience and social media, the report says.

Managing new formats and optimizing existing footprints will be vital to results, says Booz partner and report author Karla Martin. Walmart has had mixed results in this regard, she says, citing the abandonment of the Marketside pilot. Walgreen Co. exemplifies the optimization of existing space, Martin says, citing the addition of fresh food, upgraded beauty offerings and redesigned pharmacies.

Customizing outlets is a “herculean” task, she notes. Many retailers will have to boost their capabilities holistically through an integration of systems, analytic engines, processes, organization and people. While there are no shortcuts, the effort can raise the top line 2% to 3% over a trade class’ average.

With competition fierce and consumers strapped for cash, effective promotions are essential, Martin adds.

To create a compelling experience, retailers must leverage drivers of the experience including store layout, assortment, pricing and customer service. Publix Super Markets Inc. hires employees to meet its service standard, trains them in job details, ties incentives to store performance and publicly recognizes workers who draw compliments from shoppers.

Social media is a focus of farsighted retailers, according to Martin. Social networks are likely to be the next e-commerce engine and a potent new sales channel. Booz expects sales through social media to reach some $15 billion by 2015.

Visibility Is the Key To Moving Batteries
April 16, 2012
MMR

For on thing, seeing batteries can prompt customers to buy them. Most people need batteries at any given time, but they may not think to buy them unless they are reminded.

“Visibility is key to driving battery category results, and retailers have a last chance to remind shoppers to buy batteries when the shopper is entering, or is near, the checkout,” says Energizer Holdings Inc. vice president of trade development Lou Martire. “In fact, the No. 1 location that shoppers say they expect to find batteries is checkout. Battery checkstand permanent merchandising, therefore, is critical to success in this category.”

“Certainly AA and AAA batteries make up the lion’s share of the category, but placement for all cell sizes and segments is important as well,” he says. “Energizer suggests a commitment to the category in the form of permanent merchandising, with an assortment of premium and performance items, at a minimum.”

Martire points out that premium alkaline items account for the largest portion of the category. But performance products, including Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, provide trade-up opportunities for the retailer. In addition, such items as Energizer’s USB Portable Power chargers, or small flashlights, can help complement the set and provide items that shoppers might otherwise not find in the store.

To help the shopper choose, Energizer suggests that the merchandising be completed by research-based Shopper Based Solutions communications. This communication helps shoppers understand which battery is most appropriate for their devices, and helps them navigate between the items in the set.

“The importance of batteries at checkout cannot be understated,” Martire concludes. “Though device adjacency is important for this category, shoppers have said many times that they expect and want to find batteries in the final area of the store, checkout.”

Retailers Realize Solid Returns From GM
February 2012
MMR

For supermarkets, in fact, general merchandise’s contribution to a store’s net margin is 1.7 to 1.9 times greater than its contribution to sales, the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) has learned.

That fact is among the findings of GMDC’s latest research project, Winning in GM: Trends, Insights & Strategies in 2012.

This project has been in development since the middle of 2011 and is based on a combination of retailer scan sales data, syndicated data and supplier data. The idea is to provide the industry with a detailed analysis of GM and the major categories it represents, capturing the overall size and scope of the business and detailing the unique value proposition GM delivers to retailers and wholesalers with respect to margins (which are higher than average) and the impact GM purchases can have on market basket size and overall consumer shopping habits.

General merchandise categories that have traditionally had a presence in supermarkets include: canning and freezing supplies; seasonal; kitchen gadgets;  pet care; batteries and flashlights; lightbulbs and electric goods; photographic supplies; office and school supplies; and automotive supplies. These all represent businesses where supermarket market share is at risk, while supercenters and other mass channels are well positioned to make additional gains.

GMDC asserts that, at a time when supermarket probability has experience steady erosion for a number of years and when competition for shopper loyalty and trips is at an all-time high, it seems that general merchandise can play a significant role in addressing both concerns. GM delivers higher contribution margins than other higher-profile departments, and consumers are looking for GM to support their trip mission.

Kodak Pulls the Plug On Digital Cameras
February 20, 2012
MMR

As part of an effort to focus only on its most profitable businesses, Kodak is phasing out its “digital capture devices” business unit, which makes digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames.

The company promises that it will continue to honor warranties and provide technical support for its products after the phase out, which is scheduled to occur in the first half of this year. Kodak also plans to license its brand name to other device makers.

The move will reduce Kodak’s consumer business to online and retail-based photo printing, as well as desktop inkjet printing.

Kodak expects the move to save it more than $100 million a year, after it books a $30 million charge related to separation benefits.

The 131-year-old company, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month, says it will continue to have strong position in the personal imaging market. Recognizing that images are increasingly being taken by mobile phones and other devices, Kodak intends to focus on making it easy for consumers to turn those captured images into such products as prints, photo books, photo greeting cards and personalized calendars.

In addition, the company will maintain its camera accessories and batteries businesses, which involve products compatible to all camera brands, and will expand into such other consumer product segments as charging units for smartphones.

Kodak will also remain in the traditional film capture and photographic paper business.

Medical ID Bracelet is Enhanced
February 20, 2012
MMR

Consumers who buy TextID bracelets are able to store their medical and personal

To do so, they just follow the instruction on the TextID bracelet, which directs them to text the ID number on the bracelet to 51020.

Hope Paige Medical is a CDMA Platinum Associate Member. Please contact Joshua Lay at (248) 465-0673 or lay@chaindrug.com for more information.

Inroades Are Made by Electronic Cigarettes
March 5, 2012
MMR

Recent improvements in the technology used have enhanced the products’ appeal and given them more of the look, feel and experience of a real cigarette.

Vapor Corp., maker of the Krave, Green Puffer, EZ Smoker and Fifty-One brands, was established by a group of veteran entrepreneurs with strong backgrounds in product and brand development.

The solution may – or may not – contain nicotine, tobacco flavoring or other flavor essences. The steel shell also houses an electronic airflow sensor; a heating element, or atomizer, which vaporizes the liquid so that is can be inhaled; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; and certain electronic components such as timed cutoff switch to prevent overheating and an LED to signal activation.

When a user inhales and draws air through the device, the airflow is detected by a sensor, which activates the heating element that vaporizes the solution, which is stored in the mouth piece.

Electronic cigarettes enable users to smoke anywhere without the flame; second-hand smoke; and odor, ash, tar or carbon monoxide associated with cigarettes. Vapor’s Krave brand offers both disposable and rechargeable versions with different nicotine strengths, flavors and designs.

For its part, Green Smoke Inc. offers e-cigarettes that incorporate a cartridge prefilled with smoking liquid and a built-in atomizer it call the FlavorMax Cartomizer. The Cartomizer is comparable to 1.5 packs of traditional cigarettes and can be easily replaced.

Taylor Adds More Style to Scales
March 13, 2012
Homeworld Business

Battery Makers Respond to Shopper Needs
MMR
January 23, 2012

Part of that effort involves new product innovations. Energizer Holdings Inc., for example, showcased a number of new items at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“Consumers can expect new and improved products from Energizer that feature cutting-edge technology designed to both power and light up their lives,” said Michelle Atkinson, vice president of North America marketing for Energizer. “We have innovative portable power solutions for smartphones and tablets, and a new line of household lighting products that consumers will find remarkable. We’re also excited to announce extended battery performance in our popular AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.”

The improved batteries, due to hit store shelves this spring, due to hit store shelves this spring, last up to nine times longer in digital cameras than the company’s alkaline batteries.

“Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries – the world’s longest-lasting AA and AAA batteries in high-tech devices – are now even stronger,” says Energizer vice president of trade development Lou Martire, who points out that a battery that lasts nine times longer means nine times less waste.

Procter & Gamble Co.’s Duracell brand boasts a wide assortment of batteries, including the Duracell Coppertop alkaline, the Duracell Ultra Power (billed as the longest-lasting alkaline battery among leading brands), and Duracell Powerpix, a nickel oxyhydorxide (NiOx) battery that lasts up to twice as long as a regular alkaline battery in such highdrain devices as digital cameras.

The way batteries are merchandised is also critical to maximizing sales. The proliferation of electronic gadgets in the typical household means that most consumers are in need of batteries at any given time, but they may not think to buy them unless they are reminded. To that end, suppliers recommend that batteries be stocked in multiple locations throughout the store, including such high-impact locations as the front end.

Energizer also works with retailers to help them maximize their battery business, Martire notes, adding that consumers purchase about 5 billion batteries a year.

“We do a great deal of consumer and shopper research,” Martire says. “We understand their needs, attitudes and behaviors. We also spend a lot of time understanding the needs of retailers, and all of that folds into the category growth strategies we bring to the table.

“The Energizer Shopper Based Solutions initiative helps shoppers make the right battery choices at the shelf whether they need alkaline batteries for remote controls and flashlights, lithium batteries for GPS systems and digital cameras, or, as the category evolves, power options for their mobile devices. The Shopper Based Solutions initiative provides a recommended product mix, in-store location, shelf organization and category messaging. Most importantly, we have found that retailers adopting the Shopper Based Solution strategy enjoy above-average category sales growth. Energizer has a dedicated Shopper Marketing Team ready to help retailers implement these initiatives in their stores.”

Taylor Expands Plan & Prep Tools
Homeworld Business

New to the company’s kitchen scale assortment is the Taylor CalMax kitchen scale, which provides calorie information on a wide variety of foods.

The CalMax kitchen scale uses the technology of a nutrition scale but focuses on calorie count, the one nutritional value consumers track the most, according to the company.

The new scale, which has a database of more than 1,000 foods, provides caloric value based on the exact portion size. An alphabetical look-up feature that organizes foods in the database makes the foods in the database makes the foods easy to reference and remembers.

A memory feature tracks calories by day, week or individual meals, and a large backlit information center highlights the food, weight of the portion and the calories. The CalMax has an 11-pound capacity and an Add-n-Weigh feature as well.

Available for shipping now, Taylor Precision’s new CalMax kitchen scale has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $39.99.

The meal Scheduler, which is also shipping now, is part of Taylor’s Plan & Prep line of kitchen products. The device is designed to do the work of multiple timers and facilitate getting more than one dishes in a meal on the table at the same time. The Meal Scheduler will help to plan up to four dishes at once. The user can enter the target serving time, then cooking time (and prep time if desired) of each sish, and the Meal Scheduler alerts again when ready to serve. Dishes can be scheduled for up to seven days in advance.

Part of Taylor’s Plan & Prep lineup, the Recipe Converter is available now and has an MSRP of $19.99.

Valentine’s Day Cards Capture ‘Essence of Love’
Mass Market Retailers
January 6, 2012

American Greetings Corp. recently launched a new collection of Valentine’s Day cards from artist Kathy Davis. Called Heart’s Journey, the line takes its inspiration from the different kinds of love and relationships that occur throughout a lifetime, from the excitement of new love to the deeper, soul-satisfying relationships that mature over time. The feelings conveyed by the cards are supported by Davis’ watercolor artwork, the company says, and some designs include keepsake attachments.

“Kathy Davis has such a unique ability to convey emotion through both words and her distinct, expressive watercolor designs,” says Kelli Snowgold, Kath Davis brand manager at American Greetings.

Consumers can also order customized Kathy Davis Valentine’s Day Cards (with photos or personalized messages) here.

Meanwhile, Hallmark Cards Inc. has introduced a new line called Blooming Expressions in time for Valentine’s Day. Combining some of the elements of a card and a gift, the line features fabric flowers that open up – with the push of a button on the pot that serves as the flower’s base – to reveal a special message.

Retailing for $14.95, the Blooming Expressions flowers open to reveal one of the following messages: “I love you,” “You are the heart of our family,” “There’s only one you” or “Love you lots.”

“With the ability to last forever and bloom multiple times, Blooming Expressions enhance the tradition of giving a loved on flowers,” comments Hallmark product manager Dan Woodall. “We’re excited to offer consumers another innovative and tangible way to express what’s in their hearts.”

Introduced in January in two colors – red and pink – Blooming Expressions were set to be released in additional shades, as the Valentine’s Day holiday approaches this month.

As gadgets proliferate, right battery mix is critical
Chain Drug Review
January 2, 2012

“Consumers purchase 5 billion batteries a year,” says Energizer Holdings Inc. vice president of the trade development Lou Martire. “It is, and will continue to be, and important and profitable category for retailers. The key is to ensure a proper mix – which means carrying a comprehensive portfolio – and understanding that the right location and right message will resonate because consumers are willing to spend more for batteries that perform better.”

Dave Carlson, director of marketing communications for Rayovac, says chain drug retailers can gain category share by making batteries more visible. The drug channel is not a destination for batteries but has very high foot traffic, he says. “Consumers can easily be captured when in store,” he says.

Merchandising keys include multiple locations raging from the checkstand to electronics, value sizes and a range of brands, he points out. He advises offering a premium brand along with a value brand such as Rayovac “to capture all consumers.”

Extensive consumer research has given Energizer an understanding of consumers’ needs, attitudes and behaviors, says Martire, adding that the company spends considerable time understanding retailers’ needs. “All of that folds into the category growth strategies we bring to the table,” he says.

The Energizer Shopper Based Solutions initiative helps consumers make the right choices at the shelf whether they need alkaline batteries for remote controls and flashlights, lithium batteries for GPS systems and digital cameras or, power options for mobile devices. Shopper Based Solutions provides a recommended product mix, in-store location, shelf organization and category messaging.

Carlson says batteries tend to be bought on impulse, so “consumers need to be reminded or prompted to purchase.” Because consumers are driven to purchase by the need for application in a certain device, cell size is the dominant sales driver. “Stocking all key basic cell sizes is essential,” he says.

Energizer knows that people are willing to spend more for a better battery “but once they get into the store they can get into the store they can become confused and overwhelmed,” Martire says. “That’s where our team can help retailers with the right product mix, placement and message so that they are driving the sales of the right batteries for the right purposes and, ultimately, growing their profitability in the category. An emphasis on correct price gap management, efficient promotion and visible permanent merchandising like Energizer Shopper Based Solutions will enable retailers to win in what is still a very large – and ever profitable – segment.”

Vendors Motivated By Consumer Grooming, Fitness
By Mike Duff
Homeworld Business

Vendors that can provide features that stores can sell against, particularly those that can stand out in a merchandising context, are bound to enjoy some advantage as retailers look to advance their personal and health care products operations. The addition of pharmacies at so many retailers as well as the expansion of major drug chains has provided a context that should allow aggressive chain store operators to build sales in the category. Yet, in many cases, nothing much new has been done to improve merchandising. Many products remain on lockdown at drug chains, for example.

Pressure to improve operations will come from retailers expanding their pharmacy presence. Kroger has been eliminating its traditional supermarket units and converting, when not going to a Marketplace store, to food and drug formats that permit it to place additional emphasis on categories such as personal care.

Although hair was a driving factor in health and personal care appliances in 2011, it wasn’t the only factor to consider. Health monitoring continues to gain as the population ages, but it isn’t all blood pressure devices. With more admonishments to get and stay fit, consumer demand for products that record and even motivate their health efforts has driven innovation. In scales, that means more accurate body composition monitoring for less cost and, if possible, information storage and retrieval. EatSmart has expanded from information dense food scales to bathroom scales. Some consumers want more than a scale but also a method of pursuing better health practices so products from Taylor, with The Biggest Loser and Bowflex lines, and Sakar, with its GNC items, use licenses to link their products to established wellness concepts.

Striiv is designed to be a self contained monitoring device. In contrast, GeoPalz has produced decorative pedometers to encourage fitness among kids. The company expanded the line this year to include water-resistant wrist and food stride counters that complement its original GeoPalz device, which is worn on the waist. The flip-open devices toggle modes between displaying steps achieved or time exercising. A smaller wireless version registers on a separate reader that can connect to 20 separate pedometers, so families, gym teachers and youth athletic coaches can track fitness activity and encourage exercise.

A Tool to Quit Smoking Has Some Unlikely Critics
By John Tierney
New York Times

Recently, though, experiments in Italy had more success by doing less. A team led by Riccardo Polosa of the University of Catania recruited 40 hard-core smokers – ones who had turned down a free spot in a smoking-cessation program – and simply gave them a gadget already available in stores for $50. This electric cigarette or e-cigarette, contains a small reservoir of liquid nicotine solution that is vaporized to form an aerosol mist.

The user “vabes,” or puffs on the vapor, to get a hit of the addictive nicotine (and the familiar sensation of bringing a cigarette to one’s mouth) without the noxious substances found in cigarette smoke.

After six months, more than half of the subjects in Dr. Polosa’s experiment had cut their regular cigarette consumption by at least 50 percent. Nearly a quarter had stopped altogether. Though this was just a small pilot study, the results fit with other encouraging evidence and bolster hopes that these e-cigarettes could be the most effective tool yet for reducing the global death toll from smoking.

But there’s a powerful group working against this innovation – and it’s not Big Tobacco. It’s a coalition of government officials and antismoking groups who have been warning about the dangers of e-cigarettes and trying to ban their sale.

The controversy is part of a long-running philosophical debate about public health policy, but with and odd role reversal. In the past, conservatives have leaned toward “abstinence only” policies for dealing with problems like teenage pregnancy and heroin addiction, while liberals have been open to “harm reduction” strategies like encouraging birth control and dispensing methadone.

When it comes to nicotine, though the abstinence forces tend to be more liberal, including Democratic officials at the state and national level who have been trying to stop the sale of e-cigarettes and ban their use in smoke-free places. They’ve argued that smokers who want an alternative source of nicotine should use only thoroughly tested products like Nicorette gum and prescription patches – and use them only briefly, as a way to get off nicotine altogether.

The Food and Drug Administration tried to stop the sale of e-cigarettes by treating them as a “drug delivery device” that could not be marketed until its safety and efficacy could be demonstrated in clinical trials. The agency was backed by the American  Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, Action on Smoking and Health, and the Center for Tombacco-Free Kids.

Writing in Harm Reduction Journal this year, Dr. Rodu concludes that the F.D.A’s results “are highly unlikely to have any possible significance to users” because it detected chemicals at “about one million times lower concentrations that are conceivably related to human health.” His conclusion is shared by Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.

“It boggles my mind why there is a bias against e-cigarettes among anti-smoking groups.” Dr. Siegel said. He added that it made no sense to fret about hypothetical risks from minuscule levels of several chemicals in e-cigarettes when the alternative is known to be deadly: cigarettes containing thousands of chemicals, including dozens of carcinogens and hundreds of toxins.

Both sides in the debate agree that e-cigarettes should be studied more thoroughly and subjected to tighter regulation, including quality-control standards and a ban on sales to minors. But the harm-reduction side, which includes the American Association of Public Health Physicians and the American Council on Science and Health, sees no reason to prevent adults from using e-cigarettes. In Britain, the Royal College of Physicians has denounced “irrational and immoral” regulations inhibiting the introduction of safer nicotine-delivery devices.

“Nicotine itself is not especially hazardous, “ the British medical society concluded in 2007. “If nicotine could be provided in a form that is acceptable and effective as a cigarette substitute, millions of lives could be saved.”

The number of Americans trying e-cigarettes quadrupled from 2009 to 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Its survey last year found that 1.2 percent of adults, or close to three million people, reported using them in the previous month.

If millions of people switch from smoking to vaping, it would be a challenge to conventional wisdom about antismoking movement. The decline in smoking is commonly attributed to paternalistic and prohibitionist social policies, and it’s ritually invoked as a justification for crackdowns on other products – trans fat, salt, soft drinks, Quarter Pounders.

But the sharpest decline in smoking rates in the United States occurred in the decades before 1990, when public health experts concentrated on simply educating people about the risks. The decline has been slower the past tow decades despite increasingly elaborate smoking-cessation programs and increasingly coercive tactics: punitive taxes; limits on marketing and advertising; smoking band in offices, restaurants and just about every other kind of public space.

Some 50 million Americans continue to smoke, and it’s no because they’re too stupid to realize it’s dangerous. They go on smoking in part because of a fact that the prohibitionists are loath to recognize: Nicotine is a drug with benefits. It has been linked by researchers (and smokers) to reduce anxiety and stress, lower weight, faster reaction time and improved concentration.

“It’s time to be honest with the 50 million Americans, and hundred of millions around the world, who use tobacco,” Dr. Rodu writes. “The benefits they get from tobacco are very real, and imaginary or just the periodic elimination of withdrawal.”

“It’s time to abandon the myth that tobacco is devoid of benefits, and to focus on how we can help smokers continue to derive those benefits with a safer delivery system.”

As a former addict myself – I smoked long ago, and was hooked on Nicorette gum for a few years – I can appreciate why the prohibitionists fear nicotine’s appeal. I agree that abstinence is the best policy. Yet it’s obviously not working for lots of people. No one knows exactly what long-term benefits they’d gain from e-cigarettes, but we can say one thing with confidence: Every time they light up a tobacco cigarette, they’d be better off vaping.

New Half Time Drill Drive makes way to retail
By Allison Cerra
Drug Store News

How it works: The Half Time Drill Driver allows a users to select two different size bits, drill the pilot hole, flip the drill driver’s pivot arm and then drive in any screw, nut or fastener. The patent-pending swivel head flips and locks, providing the user an easy switch from drilling to driving in several seconds.

The Half Time Drill Driver such retailers as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other major retailers nationwide.

Zak Launches Aurora Plastic Tableware
By Lisa Cowley, Associate Editor of Homeworld Business

“One of the big questions we always got a tradeshows and customer appointments was, ‘Is this microwaveable?’ So we always knew that the interest was there for a product line that had all the convenience of plastic with the added benefit of being microwaveable like glass and ceramics.” Irv Zakheim, president and CEO of Zak Designs, and HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®.

The proprietary material is said to be more stain resistant than polypropylene, and can be microwaved, unlike acrylics or melamine. It is also BPA free. While Zak is debuting the material in tabletop, there are opportunities to expand it into Zak’s other product lines, according to the company. It carries a slightly higher pricepoint than melamine; suggested retail pricepoints on Aurora are $6.99 to $7.99.

Zak is releasing Aurora in two distinctive tie-dye color palettes, including a Marine Blue and Kiwi colorway, and on featuring red, orange, and yellow. Each piece is created in a way that ensures that no two pieces are exactly alike, according to the company. Aurora is also available in a solid Kiwi option. The Aurora line will feature a dinner plate, salad plate and individual bowl.

American Greetings opens Cardstore.com
Source: Chain Drug Review
November 21, 2011

More than 10,000 designs are available on the site. Consumers can select from the greeting card content and customize it through a variety of interactive options. Users can add personal photos, include unique, heartfelt messages and even upload a signature. Cardstore.com will also stamp and send the cards via the U.S. Postal Service.

“American Greetings is committed to offering consumers the best quality and convenient ways to meet their greeting cards needs, and Cardstore is an exciting next step in that on going effort,” said American Greetings Interactive president Sally Schriner. “We have been a leader in leveraging the latest technologies in the digital and social spaces, and, with Cardstore, we are

Cardstore.com users can find such brands as American Greetings, Papyrus, Kathy Davis and Taylor Swift, and designers such as Bonnie Marcus, Caleb Gray, Amy Smyth and Kate Spain. They can search by category or brand to find favorite designs in birthday, thank you, holiday, birthday, kids and babies, photo cards, and for special occasions like weddings, parties and moves. Also available is a wide array of customized personal stationary.

For card shoppers, drug stores have much to offer
Source: Chain Drug Review
November 7, 2011

Card suppliers and retailers attribute the shift to the convenience and prevalence of mass market outlets, and they observe that the easiest to shop and most widespread mass outlets are chain drug stores.

“Someone buying a card doesn’t want to have to navigate grocery or discount store aisles, or park a mile away in a huge lot,” says on chain drug category manager. “The category’s a natural fit with our stores. We have enough space to dedicate extensive footage to cards, but our store sizes and parking lots are far from overwhelming.”

Another chain drug merchandiser comments, “The whole idea of sending a greeting card is that you’re sharing an emotion with someone. Getting a card in a cavernous store full of food or clothing or electronics somehow just doesn’t feel right,”

American Greetings Corp. knows that consumers are moving away from specialty shops to meet their greeting card needs, “and this offers all of our partners the chance to drive traffic by attracting these migrating shoppers,” says a company spokesman.

“With all of our retail partners, we encourage the development of a best-in-class card department built upon strong location, optimal size and the right product mix to attract shoppers, satisfy their individual needs and keep them coming back,” he explains. “A strategically placed, well-merchandised, attractive card department is the most effective in-store marketing tool that a retailer can deploy.”

Drug store chains, in particular, have “a tremendous opportunity” in the category because of the channel migration trend, according to the American Greetings spokesman

In today’s economy, he notes, consumers are intent on prioritizing their needs. One need consumers are not willing to forgo is being able to connect with those closest to them, he says. This is borne out by the increasing popularity of social media and constant advances in technology to keep up with shoppers’ needs.

“Consumers always want to find something new and exciting in the card aisle, and that’s why we are dedicated to being the most innovative greeting card company today,” he adds. “Our constant stream of new product concepts leverage the latest technologies, and we enhance the great surprise that these innovations offer with the perfect sentiments for every occasion and relationship. This constant freshness and the promise of always being able to find the perfect card encourage consumers to visit the aisle more often and give us a great opportunity to drive incremental sales for our retail partners.”

American Greetings last month unveiled Impression on the Heart, a collection of cards designed to offer an elegant addition to any birthday celebration. The line promises beauty, elegance and warmth, with each card wrapped up with a new ribbon. The cards use a new high-quality paper that changes color during the embossing process to create an intricate, color-enhanced design that will add a luxurious fell to any celebration, the company says.

Mintel: Pet products industry to see continued growth
Source: Drug Store News, November 1, 2011
By: Allison Cerra

Because more than three-quarters (76%) of dog or cat owners consider their pets to be part of the family, products that go beyond basic necessities (i.e., food), such as apparel, toys, treats, veterinary care and grooming, are expected to help the industry grow 33% by 2016.

“To maintain and continue such strong sales is an impressive feat in our tough economy and truly speaks to owners’ commitment to their pets and manufacturers’ ability to develop products that resonate with pet owners,”

“Despite the difficult economy, 50% of pet owners make unplanned toy and treat purchases for their pets and another 16% say they have cut back on extra household expenses in order to afford pet-related care … showing the true commitment of pet-parents,” O’Donnell added.

Hope Paige Medical launches TextID medical jewelry
Source: Drug Store News, November 1, 2011
By: Allison Cerra

TextID uses SMS technology to relay life-saving information about a patient, Hope Paige Medical said. How it works: emergency medical personnel will be able to access a patient’s self-created emergency profile — which can be created online for $12 for the first year of membership (and $10 each year thereafter) — which provides detailed medical information, such as current medications, emergency contacts, etc.,

Users of TextID medical jewelry can create their personal medical profile in minutes, which can include up to 10 emergency contacts, and can be updated at any time from any computer or smartphone at no additional charge, the company said.

TextID is powered by ICEdot, an emergency identification and notification service that enables people to store their medical and personal information in a secure online account.

A New Way To Glue!

Have you had a chance to check out Glue Dots? If not, you are missing out on an incredibly trend! Not only is this popular member shaking up the traditional adhesives category, it’s doing it in style!

From August 1-September 30th, 2011 customers can “enter to win” a $2,000 Back to School shopping spree and Glue Dots product! This contest is bound to generate a tremendous amount of consumer awareness! You can enter to win here!

Don’t forget to check out their great product line by visiting Glue Dots website.

Telebrands is chopping it up

TELEBRANDS shows the ASOTV category is still roaring with it’s newest the easiest way to cut prep time in half!

The SliceOMatic™ is the simple way to slice and dice your fruits and vegetables with shear perfection! The adjustable settings allow for the perfect thickness, whether you want thin cucumber slices or thick potatoes the SliceOMatic™ is the answer! This item is sure to be a smash hit with a media spend on average of $250,000 per week in T.V. spots. THAT’S APPROXIMATELY $700,000 A WEEK AT RATE CARD!!!!

PROJECTED SHIP DATE: September 1, 2011
Retail $19.99

Check out this holiday season’s MUST HAVE at

www.sliceomatic.com

Back to School Merchandising Tips

Back to School Has Changed, Have You?

Retailers See Bigger Gains In Back To College
Source: 
HomeWorld Business
“Back to college is becoming a more prominent promotional vehicle annually, and it seems as if big discount store operators are in a position to gain the most from the trend. A recent Student Watch study conducted by OnCampus Research, a division of the National Association of College Stores, determined that Walmart and Target are the top retail stores shopped by college students.

The reason may be simple economics as 75% of the 15,000 students surveyed said that they are comparing prices more before making a purchase. The tough economy plays into student frugality.

Certainly, retailers are becoming more aware of the opportunity represented by back to college particularly in home-related categories that don’t get the same boost from traditional back to school promotions targeting grade- and high-school students, such as lighting and storage. In its latest conference call, Target executive vp/merchandising Kathryn Tesija identified back to college, along with back to school, Valentine’s Day, Easter, summer and Halloween as promotional opportunities, along with the fourth quarter holiday season, that the retailer would more actively pursue this year.

It’s clear that the Back To College is a definite opportunity that should not be left to the big boxes to rule. What items are you planning to offer to lure these customers into your door?

Are Customers Dying for Natural Insect Repellent?

Contech’s environmentally friendly insect traps use systems and baits tested, and in some cases patented by, Pherotech International – a leading supplier of pest management products for the US Forest Service and the US Department of Agriculture. Pest-control products are effective, easy too use, and harmless to children, pets, and the environment.  Check out their website for a list of their products.

Greenerways Organic was founded in 2008 when they introduced their premier product, Bug-It-Off, the first insect repellant available that is 100% organic certified.

So as you see, choosing greener and natural repellents is easy and a great revenue driver!

The middle child and you-
Why are you ignoring it?

A Kodak Moment