General Merchandise

DENVER — According to new results published by the Integer Group, 31% of survey respondents said they won't be shopping for any back-to-school products at all, up from 27.7% last year. This was revealed in the latest issue of The Checkout, an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by Integer and M/A/R/C Research.

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs announced today its “School Tools for Kids in Need” drive — a helping hand for teachers assisting local students with school supplies, running now through Aug. 31.

Bartell Drugs is welcoming donations of school supplies for its 10th annual “School Tools for Kids in Need” at 59 Bartell Drugs locations. The drive supports students in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties through World Vision’s Teacher Resource Center in Fife.

SAN FRANCISCO — Method Products, PBC, a manufacturer of eco-friendly home cleaning, laundry and personal care products, is innovating in the dish category again, this time with the launch of Power Foam dish soap — a foaming dish soap in an ergonomic trigger spray bottle.

NEW YORK — The family that runs American Greetings card company is taking the company back to private, according to published reports.

The New York Times reported today that American Greetings is no longer trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The family that has run the business for more than a century, along with several investors, is said to acquire the Cleveland-based company in April.

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Pacific Shore Holdings, Inc., introduced the new Thermal-Aid Zoo animal "Mini's". The Thermal-Aid Zoo animals are a 100% natural therapeutic, heating/cooling plush animals specifically designed for kids, to reduce swelling, ease pain and give kids of all ages a "huggable" pal year round, the company stated. The Mini's are smaller versions of the original Thermal-Aid Zoo animal, which the company founder Matthew Mills calls the "next big collectable."

The pervasiveness of Facebook and Twitter has not killed the greeting card and gift wrap category. "Managers are telling us that the category continues to hold its own and, in some cases, is growing nicely," said Mark Deuschle, VP business development and chief marketing officer at the Global Marketing Development Center. "Greeting cards remain not only a top trip driver, but also one of the most profitable categories in the drug store environment," said Sabrina Wiewel, VP of Hallmark's chain drug team.

Numbers can be deceiving in the baby category. While overall category sales are down, the drug channel is seeing nice increases in specific segments within the category. The numbers suggest that drug retailers could be missing an opportunity.

"Toy dollar sales are up 4% in the drug store channel," said David Luth, principal at Radian Group, a market research firm. "The chains that do the best in this category are those that make an intentional decision to be in the business. That doesn't mean that they have to devote 80 ft. to the category, but if they devote 20 ft., they should do a great job with the space they give it. They have to have the right toys at competitive prices."