INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

RYE BROOK, N.Y. — A new quarterly index developed by eBillme found that 19% of shoppers will spend more on Valentine's Day this year.

The index polled 1,200 consumers to measure projected online spending for the quarter and the influencing factors, eBillme said. Of the consumers polled, the index revealed, 32% of shoppers will purchase Valentine's Day gifts online.

This quarter, respondents also were asked what they planned to purchase for Valentine's Day. Findings included:

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Global Industry Analysts on Wednesday released its report on the future growth of the diabetes diagnostics market.

In "Diabetes Diagnostics: A Global Strategic Business Report," GIA projected that the global market for diabetes diagnostics is expected to reach $26 billion by 2015. GIA noted that the United States is the largest regional market, followed by Europe. The report also noted that the increasing number of diabetics worldwide will prompt boosts in certain segments, including blood-glucose test strips and meters.

MINNEAPOLIS — During the Super Bowl, football fans look forward to guilt-free snacking and will fumble on healthy eating goals for the day, according to the 2011 "Supervalu Snack Down Survey" by Harris Interactive.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — When consumers are offered a cost-neutral choice to fill their 90-day prescription medications in a retail store or through a mail-order pharmacy, they tend to split their preferences, largely depending on their past experiences, according to the findings of a first-of-its-kind study from CVS Caremark.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Attention personal care product marketers and manufacturers: Consumers' attitude toward innovation is not what conventional wisdom has been dictating, and there are differences between their current perception of the industry and desired reality. That's according to the findings of Kline & Co.'s new report that leverages a unique form of emerging research methodology.

WASHINGTON — A poll released by the American Cleaning Institute found that nearly three-quarters of Americans use antibacterial soap, and many of them wouldn't be happy if the government banned such products.

The poll, which consisted of 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 years and older, found that 74% of consumers use antibacterial soap — with 56% of those respondents using them on a regular basis — and deemed antibacterial soap as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of germs.

Additional findings included:

NEW YORK — A new study published in BioMed Central's open-access journal, Reproductive Health, found that essential fatty acids may reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms among women.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — If only it were as easy as a voice in our heads screaming “Recalculating!” when we've taken that turn down the candy or chip aisle in the grocery store, then maybe diabetes and obesity wouldn’t quite be the epidemics that they are. Supervalu’s nutrition iQ comes about as close to an actual dietary GPS as you can get without affixing a Garmin to the shopping cart handle, and it’s a program that elevates the overall shopping experience to boot.