In this Issue

The Obama administration on the official White House website identifies “5 Important Numbers on Health Reform.” These include:

• Zero. The amount consumers would have to pay for premiums, co-insurance or co-payments on any preventive services;

• Fifty. The number of states that now offer insurance options to all people, regardless of any pre-existing conditions;

• One million. The number of doughnut-hole rebate checks mailed to seniors under Part D as of August 2010;

It’s about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. I usually wait a couple more days to write my column, but I don’t need to think any more about what to write.

My first insights into retailing came to me by way of my great aunt Agatha Mastromatteo-Corsello-Langella at the boutique she owned just off the corner of 72nd Street and Broadway, here in New York City. As I write this now, it has been less than three hours since she passed away in the company of her two sons Michael and Glen.

As Drug Store News suggested last month, legislation under consideration in Tennessee and Kentucky that would make the popular decongestant pseudoephedrine only available by prescription has, in fact, sparked interest in neighboring states. Arkansas shares a border with Kentucky, where a PSE prescription-only bill was filed in January, and Mississippi, one of two states that already has passed PSE prescription-only legislation.

American cuisine always has been influenced by the country’s diverse population. An expanding ethnic population and a proliferation of TV cooking shows have led to even greater interest in ethnic foods among American consumers.

Ethnic food sales are expected to increase 19% from 2010 to 2015, according to a recent report published by Mintel. The study revealed that 64% of U.S. households said that ethnic sauces, condiments and/or seasonings could be found in their kitchens.

Digi-Piggy

TORRANCE, Calif. — Earlier this month, Cisco Sales Corp. introduced Digi-Piggy at the 108th Toy Fair in New York. Digi-Piggy calculates the value of all U.S. coins inserted and then displays the total on a digital readout on the pig’s snout. The Digi-Piggy is made of durable plastic with a simple twist-off lid, and is designed for children ages 3 years and older. The price point is $14.95.


HOOFDORP, Netherlands — Sneaker and sports apparel manufacturer ASICS in March will open a new flagship store here, on the Stadhouderskade, at the entrance of greater Amsterdam’s most popular running path, the Vondelpark.


Beyond the basic sneaker-purchasing experience, the 6,458-sq.-ft. store touts several exclusive features, including:

• 
Running Lab, which offers extensive body analyses, including foot shape, leg alignment, running technique, strength and endurance, and customized advice on how to improve technique and performance;

“Smah-ten up, Ee-dah.” Loosely translated from deep “Mainer-ese,” that means, “smarten up, Eder.”


It’s a voice from my childhood, an old coach and counselor from summer camp, Tobias Woodworth. I called him Toby. He called me “Ee-dah.”


Stuck with me and all my other quasi-incorrigible New York City friends, Toby found himself saying, “smah-ten up!” an awful lot. It could mean anything from “you’ve got two strikes — protect the plate” to “put down that rock.”


Judging by the numbers, the wobbly economy largely has benefited the men’s grooming segment.


As previously reported by Drug Store News, the economy has resulted in solid sales — and even a trading up — in such segments as grooming/scissors. For example, Wahl Clipper stated in late 2010 that its “shining star” has been its Lithium Ion grooming kit, priced at $39.99.


That trend appears to be continuing, as many grooming/shaving scissors are experiencing double-digit growth, according to the latest 
SymphonyIRI Group data.