New Products

As more Americans join the ranks of diabetics, the opportunity to target these consumers at the shelf becomes more crucial. 


Retailers like Rite Aid are using pull-box displays that allow customers to physically handle a blood-glucose meter before they make that purchase decision. That kind of consumer engagement, evident throughout Rite Aid’s latest Wellness format store, for example, helps anchor diabetes as a front-end destination center. 


SUPPLIER NEWS — Acura Pharmaceuticals in December will launch an immediate-release pseudoephedrine tablet under the brand name Nexafed that will help impede conversion of the tablets into methamphetamine. Couched as the “next generation pseudoephedrine product,” Nexafed is a 30 mg PSE hydrochloride tablet that utilizes Acura’s trademarked Impede technology. 


Sales of facial anti-aging products continued to slip — perhaps as consumers continue to watch their spending or try to navigate the inundated anti-aging market — while sales of facial moisturizers experienced an uptick, according to data from SymphonyIRI Group.


While daily coffee consumption is dominated by ground coffee — 35% of consumers drink roasted ground coffee every day — premium-priced single-cup coffee is gaining popularity and has led the growth in the coffee category between 2010 and 2012, according to Mintel.


The single-cup market ballooned from $103 million in 2007 to an estimated nearly $1.8 billion in 2012, and Mintel expects to see upside for the segment until 2017 due to new innovations and more 
private-label pods.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Two new wooden toys that won a contest sponsored by Midwestern mass merchandiser Meijer will be featured exclusively on the retailer's website, the company said Thursday.

Meijer announced the winners of the Meijer Next Great Toymaker contest: Franklin, N.C.-based Circa Toys' Wagon of Blocks and Goshen, Ind.-based Peters' Group's Stick & Stack Cozy Cabin. The Wagon of Blocks, which sells for $69.99, is designed for children ages 1 to 3 years, while the Cozy Cabin, at $44.99, is for children ages 4 to 8 years.

This holiday season will be both a splurge and save season for toys. Parents will splurge for one or two toys, but will round out their holiday shopping with less expensive items, according to Adrienne Appell, a spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association.


PepsiCo's Frito-Lay has stirred up controversy with its plan to launch an extended line of Cracker Jacks snacks, called Cracker Jack'd, which includes a caffeinated snack called Power Bites.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Pedigree’s new Dentastix line of oral care products for pets fights “dog breath.” These new Fresh Treats for dogs work to help banish bad breath and help with overall oral care, including tartar control.


Oral care is the No. 1 health issue veterinarians see in dogs. Research from The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition indicates that bad breath can be a sign of such canine oral care issues as gum disease. Advanced, untreated gum disease can be associated with the development of heart and kidney disease, as well as some forms of cancer.