INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WHITING, Ind. — A new CouponCabin.com survey revealed that the state of the economy does not affect how much the majority of pet owners spend on their pets.

CHICAGO — The deodorant and antiperspirant industry in the United States will continue to relish in the sweet smell of success through 2016 and beyond, according to a new Mintel report.

CHICAGO — Consumers are expected to shop and buy more in the week leading up to Mother's Day than they did last year, according to a new ShopperTrak survey.

CHICAGO — Consumers’ confidence in their personal finances is returning to levels seen in first quarter 2011, according to SymphonyIRI Group’s latest MarketPulse survey, released Friday. But while confidence remains high, the same consumers remain frugal.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Since the development of the first smallpox vaccine in 1796, vaccines have saved countless lives around the world and helped to make such deadly scourges as smallpox and polio things of the past.

(THE NEWS: PhRMA report lists almost 300 vaccines under development. For the full story, click here.)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The news that Walmart now is offering cash payment options for online orders on its site in the United States is important for several reasons. Not only is Walmart the first major retailer to offer the service, but it also further illustrates that stores increasingly are just one slice of a larger, more connected consumer experience.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — If you have a glass-half-full perspective, then the court's ruling to deny the proposed preliminary injunction to the Express Scripts-Medco marriage means none of this is over. The case still stands. However, the court has deferred the decision on the plaintiffs' motion seeking a permanent injunction until after the court decides on ESI's motion to dismiss the case altogether. That may mean a decision on that motion could come sooner than later, considering the plaintiffs requested an expedited discovery schedule with the first motion.

MADISON, N.J. — A recent Quest Diagnostics "Health Trends Report" released Wednesday found that more than 3-in-5 patients (63%) misused their prescription drugs.