Content about General Merchandise

NEW YORK — Midwestern supermarket-pharmacy chain Hy-Vee announced Tuesday the opening of two new convenience stores in Iowa and Missouri.

A Hy-Vee spokeswoman told Drug Store News that the 4,350-sq.-ft. Iowa store in the town of Waukee includes a gas station and an attached Caribou Coffee shop with a drive-through, and stands on the site of a Hy-Vee store currently under construction.

The Liberty, Mo., store is on the site of an existing Hy-Vee location.

CINCINATTI – Swiffer has launched a "Man Up, Clean Up" campaign to encourage men to contribute more to household cleaning. While the percentage of men who say they do most of the household cleaning has increased, other studies suggest that men exaggerate how much they really help out around the house. The new campaign intends to better equip men to do their fair share.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — More than half of consumers say they plan to spend $500 or more on gifts this holiday season, slightly more than what they planned on spending in 2011, according to PriceGrabber’s winter holiday shopping survey.

The survey of online shopping consumers, conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12, revealed that 75% planned to shop with online retailers, 74% said they’d shop at discount stores and 49% planned to shop at traditional department stores.

Tide’s online photo campaign, “Show Us Your Colors,” is offering fans a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl XLVII. The “Show Us Your Colors” contest is P&G’s latest addition to the brand’s season-long celebration of the pride and passion football fans show for their teams.

 SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — According to Nielsen analyses issued Thursday, higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending. 

For sales in 89 categories across five key departments (food, beverages, alcohol, health/beauty and homecare), Nielsen is forecasting spending for November and December 2012 to reach $98.3 billion. Nielsen expects dollar sales to increase 2.3% and unit sales to remain generally flat (0.1%). 

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — Anyone with pets knows that the challenge of getting them to swallow pills is up there with giving them baths.

One company has introduced a line of products designed to make the process easier. Kinn announced the launch of Kudose, which allows pills to be hidden inside homemade treats, and Krocodile, a pill splitter and crusher.

DETROIT — Avanti is gearing up for spring 2013 by boosting its portfolio to include a variety of new greeting cards.

New to the Avanti portfolio are Valentine's Day cards enhanced with glitter and foil; Easter cards that showcase bright colors and characters; Mother's Day cards that are humorous and traditional; Father's Day cards that evoke a "saltier" style of humor; and graduation cards for grades kindergarten and older. Avanti also is launching new seasonal StandOuts cards and Avanti-branded cards that have been added to the company's A*Press collection.

Sales of pet supplies (excluding pet food) reached $11.1 billion last year, an increase of 2% over 2010, according to a new Packaged Facts study. Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association expects annual spending on pet products to increase, especially in the convenience segment of the pet accessories segment.

Vetere said sales of products that help pets care for themselves — such as programmable feeding and drinking systems, automatic and battery-operated toys, self-cleaning litter boxes and self-warming pet mats — are on the rise.

NEW YORK — "MIA" usually stands for "missing in action," but according to published reports, some consumers south of the U.S. border take it to stand for something that Americans may consider cause for celebration.

NEW YORK — Only 58% of consumer packaged goods executives view dollar stores as a strategic channel, according to Deloitte’s new "Dollar Store Strategies for National Brands" study. Deloitte advises that CPG companies may not be keeping pace with the explosive growth of the $56 billion dollar store industry, and should act now to maximize market share and profits.

In other survey highlights:

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday announced the launch of the "Taylor Swift Store at Walgreens," which will market a wide array of products from the six-time Grammy winner's branded merchandise line. Walgreens and select Duane Reade locations will provide a comprehensive, in-store selection of Taylor Swift music and merchandise.

The items will be available for purchase chain wide beginning the week of Oct. 8. The Taylor Swift-branded merchandise will incorporate artwork from her soon to be released album, "Red."

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Critically acclaimed television series "Smash" is coming to DVD with UltraViolet this winter.