Center Store

NEW YORK — In many cities, it sometimes seems as though there's a Starbucks on every street corner, but a new frontier for the Seattle-based coffee chain is now on track — literally.

BETHEL, Conn. — Duracell on Friday announced that it will donate up to 1 million batteries to Toys for Tots as part of its Power a Smile program, marking the brand's largest donation to the organization to date.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The global market research firm Harris Interactive on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Nielsen Holdings. 

NEW YORK — Schnuck Markets is offering to store perishable foods for people who have lost power due to the large storm outbreak that hit the Midwest over the weekend, the supermarket chain said in announcements on its Facebook page.

The chain is offering emergency refrigeration at some of its stores in the St. Louis area, as well as the Illinois towns of Pekin and Peoria. The company said items had to be stored in coolers, containers or bags, sealed and with people's names and phone numbers attached.

NASHUA, N.H. — Minerco Resources announced that Level 5 Beverage Co. has acquired VitaminFizz, a low-calorie, vitamin-enriched soda that was developed by Power Brands Consulting. VitaminFizz was extensively tested in the market in 2011, but the launch was delayed while efforts were focused on other consumer brands.

CHICAGO — Across five different product or service attributes analyzed (i.e., price, service agreement, selection, feature or quality) in a Nielsen Global Survey of Loyalty Sentiment, "offering the best price" held the most persuasive power to motivate consumers to swap devotion to a brand, service provider or retailer, Nielsen reported on Monday. 

BETHESDA, Md. — Honest Tea, maker of organic bottled tea, is rolling out Unsweet Lemon Tea nationwide, the company announced. The zero-calorie beverage is brewed with organic, Fair Trade-certified tea leaves and flavored with organic lemon extract.  

SARATOGA, Calif. — Men have become significant players participating in a self-gifting trend, according to a survey released Wednesday by Roku. When it comes to self-gifting, men are most likely to hide their gift (43% more likely than women), claim it’s from someone else (150% more likely) or even create an imaginary friend (118% more likely) rather than own up to the purchase, according to the survey conducted by Omnipulse on behalf of Roku.