General Merchandise

NEW YORK — A film based on a bestselling novel by Kathryn Stockett will make its debut in Blu-ray combo pack, DVD, digital download and on-demand formats on Dec. 6.

"The Help," starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Bryce Dallas Howard, tells the story of women in the the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project.

"The Help" has been packaged as follows:

• 3-disc Blu-ray combo pack (Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy) for $44.99;

RALEIGH, N.C. — Kerr Drug's philanthropic arm is launching a food and toy drive for the holidays, the company said Wednesday.

The Kerr Cares for Kids Foundation is placing collection bins at Kerr Drug stores, where customers can purchase and donate toys and food items. After Dec. 21, the items will be donated to local charities.

The drive follows a school supply collection in August and a Thanksgiving food collection in November that helped 90 organizations across North Carolina.

LOS ANGELES — A thriller starring Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz and Vanessa Redgrave is coming to Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

"The Whistleblower" tells the story of a United Nations peacekeeper (Weisz) in post-war Bosnia, who uncovers a deadly sex trafficking ring and seeks to expose the corruption. The Blu-ray and DVD formats both include such features as special cast and crew interviews.

"The Whistleblower" will debut on Blu-ray and DVD Jan. 24, 2012.

NEW YORK — While sales figures for pharmaceuticals are frequently reported on, drugs for people's four-legged friends also are a money maker.

According to Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, retail sales of pet medications — including sales through retail stores, online retailers and veterinarians — will reach $6.7 billion this year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In an effort to help community pharmacies to effectively compete in the marketplace, the National Community Pharmacists Association has launched an initiative that is designed to help these retailers create better business opportunities for front-end merchandise.

NEW YORK — The short-term forecast for cold weather items, including cold medicines, is that demand could be down as much as 15% without Jack Frost biting at everyone’s nose, according to analysis from Deutsche Bank published Monday.

Weather Trends International estimates temperatures will be up 2 to 5 degrees warmer year-over-year, on average, over the balance of the year across the United States.

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Maxell has introduced a rechargeable lithium ion battery designed to operate in low temperatures, the company said.

With a discharge temperature range of -30 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius and 2300mAh capacity, the cell can operate in various products across various markets, including data capture, mobile computing, portable printing, communications, e-bikes, and gardening tools, Maxell said.

The new introduction follows the July launch of Maxell's zero-mercury, zero-lead silver oxide cell.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is offering two promotional programs to holiday shoppers, the company said Monday.

The first of these is Cyber Week, launched to mark Cyber Monday, an online shopping holiday that is one of the busiest of the year. The chain is offering limited-time deals on items commonly purchased online, such as beauty and personal care items, personalized photo calendars and vitamins, as well as 20% off when customers spend $50 or more. Customers can sign up at RiteAidOnlineStore.com.