Center Store

Consumers may be cutting their budgets, but when it comes to toys, there’s always room for a little splurge. Parents are more likely to cave when the toy offers educational value or is a classic.

Traditional toys are a mainstay of the category—particularly in the drug channel, where price points in the toy aisle rarely top $10. “Evergreen, classic games continue to be popular,” said Adrienne Appell, a spokeswoman for the Toy Industry Association. “They are affordable and have appeal across generations, particularly around the holidays.”

You’ve heard it before, and it’s true: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Studies have proven that eating breakfast is closely linked to healthy body weights, improved mental alertness and physical performance. Plus, people who skip breakfast don’t make up for the missed nutrients later in the day.

Skipping breakfast not only deprives a person of needed nutrients, but the first meal of the day also helps refuel the body and brain with energy, and kick-starts the metabolism.

DALLAS —Frito-Lay continues its commitment to college football fans with a new, limited-edition football-shaped version of its classic tortilla chips. The game day-inspired chips’ hearty texture makes them naturals for dipping. The chips are available in 12-oz. bags and carry a suggested retail price of $3.99.

Should retail pharmacists tell their patients to eat a good breakfast?

A mountain of data showing the health benefits of a good breakfast — one that includes high-fiber foods like cereals and grains — point to an unequivocal answer: absolutely.
Studies have proven that eating breakfast is closely linked to healthy body weights, improved mental alertness and physical performance. Plus, people who skip breakfast don’t make up for the missed nutrients later in the day.

Continued consumer price consciousness and the growing influence of the dollar store channel have made snacks priced at $1 popular with consumers.

PRINCETON, N.J. —Arm & Hammer’s new Double Duty clumping cat litter’s breakthrough formula allows cat owners to address feces and urine odors in the litter box. More than 90% of cat owners said eliminating odor from feces and urine is important to them in a litter product, but most products on the market concentrate only on the pungent ammonia smell of cat urine.

Today, American consumers are more focused on the foods they eat. They read labels. They understand the importance of fiber and whole grains. They know the difference between good and bad fats.

CLEVELAND Jokers will be sure to embrace the latest laugh-out-loud card line from American Greetings.

The greeting card company announced its first-ever whoopee-cushion greeting card line, called "It's a Gas!" Each card in the collection is an actual whoopee cushion that can be signed and sent in an accompanying envelope.