DSN Retailing Today articles from March 2005, page 3

DSN Retailing Today archives from March 2005

What's cooking on consumers' stovetops.(home & housewares)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... WHAT'S COOKING ON CONSUMERS' STOVETOPS CONSUMER PREFERENCES IN COOKWARE ALUMINUM 37.4 STAINLESS STEEL 34.2 ANODIZED ALUMINUM 18.1 STEEL 6.9 CAST IRON 2.7 COPPER 0.7 Note:...

PetsMart.(Retailer News)(sales)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Despite slower than expected holiday sales, PetsMart is still projecting a 5% increase in same-store sales for its fourth quarter ended Jan. 30. The nation's No. 1 pet retailer expects earnings per share for fiscal 2004 to come in at $1.16 or...

Central Garden & Pet.(Retailer News)(company sales)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Central Garden & Pet reported record earnings of $2.5 million for its first quarter ended Dec. 25. Total revenue increased 19% to $265 million and the company expects to post sales of $1.4 billion for the year. The company attributed the...

Flexi-Mat Corp.(manufacturer of pet bedding, has acquired Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Global Pet Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Flexi-Mat Corp., a manufacturer of pet bedding, has acquired Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Global Pet Products Inc. Global Pet manufactures pet travel products that include the Pet Stow-Away car seat and the Pet Bicycle Basket. Terms of the deal...

Sergeant's Pet Care Products.(hired Cynthia Oelke as senior category manager in marketing)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Sergeant's Pet Care Products hired Cynthia Oelke as senior category manager in marketing, where she'll oversee treats, pet chews, toys and accessories. Oelke has held marketing positions at General Mills and Con Agra Foods.

Paw-friendly cat litter.(What's Hot)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Until the day cats master the use of flush toilets, their owners will have to rely on cat litter and deal with the trail of paw prints left behind once a litter box session is through. But several suppliers are now addressing the problem with...

Latest natural-food trend going to the dogs.(Pet Supplies Update)
March 14, 2005... The fact that the $31 billion pet industry prospered through the 2001-2003 recession shows that people are willing to spend money on their pets even during tough times. And in the past few years, much of that money has been going toward sales...

Petco's Pisces is bigger fish tale.(Petco Animal Supplies is rolling out its new Pisces format )(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Petco Animal Supplies is rolling out its new Pisces format in a big way this year after a successful test launch last summer. The nation's No. 2 pet supplies retailer now has its Pisces format in close to 70 stores and has more than 100 on...

Calif. shops bitten with fines over flea treatments.(hardlines)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... California regulators have accused 13 businesses in the state of selling misbranded flea treatment products and are seeking a total of $3 million in fines. The California Department of Pesticides claims the companies obtained name brands like...

MGA Entertainment extends Bratz line.(Toy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... VAN NUYS, CALIF. -- Five years after launching its popular line of Bratz Dolls, MGA Entertainment will take the brand into new areas this fall with a line of products that branch into home decor and consumer electronics. The company used Toy...

Fly Pentop Computer could be hot gadget.(Toy Watch)
March 14, 2005... EMERYVILLE, CALIF. -- LeapFrog introduced what could be one of the "must have" gadgets of the 2005 holiday season with the debut of The Fly Pentop Computer. The small computer is about the size of an electric toothbrush and uses special...

Story Reader follow-up targets toddlers.(Publications International Ltd. unveiled the follow-up to its popular Story Reader learning toy at Toy Fair)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... LINCOLNWOOD, ILL -- Publications International Ltd. unveiled the follow-up to its popular Story Reader learning toy at Toy Fair. My First Story Reader is designed for children ages 6 months to 3 years and will debut Sept. 1 at major retailers...

Trollz getting ready for their comeback.(Toy Watch)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... BURBANK, CALIF. -- The spiky-haired Trollz dolls that were popular in the 1980s are due for a comeback this year in dozens of new forms. DIC Entertainment acquired the property last year and now has 35 licensees on board for a product launch...

Scholastic rolls out 'Maya & Miguel' line.(Toy Watch)
March 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Scholastic Entertainment is partnering with Toy Play to roll out a full line of toys based on the PBS kids show "Maya & Miguel." "Toy Play has produced an innovative and inspired line of toys that bring children closer to Maya &...

Techno toys may be best bet for 2005 rebound.(Toy Fair 2005)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Electronic toys with microchips that make them dance, sing and remember names were the big story at this year's International Toy Fair. The seven-day event that ended Feb. 23 showcased thousands of new toys for retailers still...

After a century in NYC, Toy Fair mulls leaving.(Toy Fair 2005)(New York City)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- Toy Fair has been an annual event in New York City since 1903, but that long run could be coming to an end. The recent sale of the Toy Center buildings at 200 Fifth Avenue and 1107 Broadway is forcing toy companies out of...

Irwin Toy back in the game with a new name.(i-Top)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... NEW YORK -- One of the new names at the 2005 Toy Fair was a company called itoys, a Toronto-based manufacturer that had a hit last year with its award-winning i-Top. The i-Top, a top with a high-tech spin, sold more than 1 million units in...

Not brought to you by ...(Wal-Mart watch)(Wal-Mart Replenishment Users Group's meeting)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Approximately 600 people representing suppliers from across the country descended on Tampa, Fla., last month for arguably the most unique conference in the retail industry. An organization that bills itself as Wal-Mart Replenishment Users...

Online presence.(internet traffic)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... There are still nine months to go until Christmas, but come December Wal-Mart will be positioned to dramatically narrow the gap between itself and Amazon.com thanks to a strategy of integrating its brick-and-mortar stores with a more complete...

Rhetoric heats up between unions, management.(Wal-Mart and labor organizers )
March 14, 2005... The war of words between Wal-Mart and labor organizers continues to escalate as the two sides put forth sharply differing views of the retailer's impact on the workplace and role in society. The most recent exchange was set off on Feb. 10...

Charitable giving reaches $170 million.(Wal-Mart watch)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Cash donations through Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Foundation exceeded $170 million during the past year, according to the company. More than 100,000 organizations benefited from the philanthropic effort, with...

Wal-Mart recently launched a nationwide media campaign to "set the record straight" on the company's employee wage and benefit policies. Do you think the campaign will succeed in increasing positive consumer mindshare?".(Wal-Mart watch)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The following readers' comments arrived in DSN Retailing Today's e-mail earlier this month in reaction to the above online poll: "I hope so. I shop and work for Wal-Mart, and although I do not think it's as good a place to work for as...