Center Store

Walgreens’ success with fresh foods has left the retailer hungry for more. In its flagship Chicago store, Walgreens has pumped up its fresh and prepared departments with a fully stocked sushi bar, grab-and-go deli offerings, self-serve yogurt, a juice bar, and fresh baked goods and confections from well-known local sources.

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. — Johnsonville has introduced four varieties of premium fully cooked sausage.

The new cooking sausage is available in andouille, Polish kielbasa, smoked and three cheese Italian style flavors, the company said. Each variety of Johnsonville premium fully cooked sausage is made with premium cuts of pork, no fillers and flavorful blends of seasonings.

BOULDER, Colo. — Thanasi Foods has expanded its Bigs sunflower seeds line with a new flavor.

Bigs Hidden Valley Ranch-flavored sunflower seeds joins the Bigs lineup of salted and roasted original, Vlasic dill pickle, Bacon Salt sizzlin' bacon, Frank's RedHot buffalo wing and sea salt and black pepper flavors, the company said.

Bigs Hidden Valley Ranch sunflower seeds will hit store shelves nationwide in June and will be available 0.7-oz, 2.75-oz. and 5.35-oz. sizes.

Electronic cigarettes, sometimes called personal vaporizers, are making their way into the drug channel. As tobacco smoking in public is steadily becoming a thing of the past, smokers are looking for alternatives, and more retail channels are carrying the products.

Rite Aid has begun to carry several models of electronic cigarettes, replacement batteries and replacement cartridges, and is merchandising the products at the checkout near tobacco products.

CHICAGO — Pampers Cruisers/Swaddlers with Dry Max, Gillette Fusion ProGlide and P.F. Chang's Home Menu were the top three new product introductions in 2011, according to the SymphonyIRI Group "2011 New Product Pacesetter" report released Tuesday afternoon. Respectively, Pampers generated $296 million in first-year sales, Gillette Fusion ProGlide generated $169.4 million and P.F. Chang's Home Menu generated $101.6 million. The three were the only new brands to break the $100 million barrier in year-one sales through 2011.

Technology is changing the general merchandise aisles. Online greeting cards have grabbed share from traditional cards, and photofinishing is taking a hit as consumers move to digital photo publishing.

When retailers look for products or services to fill the vacuum left by shrinking categories, they’re looking for something consumers want today and will still need tomorrow.

The uBreakiFix concept suggests one possibility. The electronics repair chain specializes in iPad, iPhone, iPod and smartphones, and offers walk-in repair services while consumers wait.

CHICAGO — Coors Light is kicking up its sponsorship of Mexico's Primera soccer division by reaching out to Hispanic consumers with new digital efforts.

Coors Light, a U.S. sponsor of the league, said it's now giving soccer fans on-the-go access to in-depth and exclusive articles on the Primera Division, the latest scores, stats and highlights by expanding FanaticosDelFrio.com, a website that offers the league's fans exclusive content and was launched last year. Extensions of the site include:

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Olympic partner, has launched its global P&G "Thank You Mom" campaign in celebration of 100 days to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The campaign recognizes and celebrates the moms behind the athletes by thanking moms for all they do, and is a part of P&G’s worldwide partnership with the International Olympic Committee. It marks the biggest campaign in P&G’s 174-year history and will run from now through the end of the Olympic Games.