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