Center Store

Reily Foods acquires New England Tea and Coffee
NEW ORLEANS — Reily Foods Co. on Monday announced the acquisition of independent coffee roaster New England Tea and Coffee Co. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition is not expected to change the daily operations of New England Tea and Coffee Co., which will operate as New England Tea and Coffee Co., LLC — a subsidiary of Reily Foods. Production and distribution activities will continue as usual at New England Coffee and no employee changes are expected.
Mr. Clean gives Times Square a post-party scrub-down
CINCINNATI — Leaving the iconic Times Square clean and sparkling is a huge job, but somebody's got to do it. A 25-person "Mr. Clean Team" worked tirelessly alongside the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Times Square Alliance on Jan. 1 to give the area a thorough scrub-down following the massive New Year's celebration and they had some help thanks to one of Procter & Gamble's newest products.

Back to Nature snags SnackWell's

GREENWICH, Conn. — Back to Nature Foods Company on Monday announced that it has acquired SnackWell's, a cookie and snack business, from Mondelez Global. The terms and conditions of the deal were not disclosed.
Clearette increases production capacity

NEW YORK — Clearette, a manufacturer of electronic cigarettes, has ordered specialized equipment in an effort to improve production output in hopes to allow volume increases.
Skimpy Mixers now available at select Walmart locations

DALLAS — Skimpy Mixers, a new drink mixer, will be available Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 at select Walmart locations across the nation as part of a limited-time only promotional launch. The mixers are made with real fruit juices and are low in sugar content and calories. The product will officially launch in February.

The company’s founders first came up with the idea while attending a friend’s Bachelorette pool party. They loved the drinks that were being served and were surprised that they couldn't taste the alcohol content.
Owner of Godiva to buy DeMet's Candy

GREENWICH, Conn. — Brynwood Partners V on Friday announced that it is selling its investment in DeMet’s Candy Company for $221 million to Yildiz Holdings A.S., the owner of Godiva, a chocolate brand. The transaction is expected to close in January 2014.   
Report: U.S. retail sales rise 3.5% during holiday season

PURCHASE, N.Y. — U.S. retail sales reportedly rose 3.5% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, 2013 compared to the same period in the prior year. According to data from MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, sales of holiday-related categories, such as clothing, electronics and luxury goods, rose 2.3%, after rising 0.7% in 2012.
Mars intros birthday cake candies

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars will launch a new M&M flavor in May, M&M’s Brand Birthday Cake Chocolate Candies. The flavor “symbolizes family celebrations, so we think it’s a great fit with our M&M’s brand,” said Larry Lupo, Mars Chocolate North America’s VP sales for convenience and drug channels. The milk chocolate infused with birthday cake flavored candies will be available in a 1.4-oz. single pack for $1.09 and an 8-oz. stand-up-pouch for $2.99.
Consumers crave bold flavors, packaging variety

Consumers never tire of candy. Euromonitor data indicates that U.S. dollar sales for chocolate increased 19% between 2007 and 2012, and non-chocolate sales were up 17%. Euromonitor and the National Confectioners Association expect solid growth in the next five years, with the category “adding more than $6 billion in sales between 2013 and 2018.”
Rayovac to showcase new portable chargers

MIDDLETON, Wis. — Rayovac will showcase a new line of portable mobile charging devices at the upcoming 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10, 2014.