Pharmacy

Pricing and product mix drive supermarket spa sections.

The outlook for the consumer packaged goods industry gets better with age, according to a new report from IRI.

With 32 grams of natural whole grains crammed into each 450-milliliter (15.2-fluid-ounce) bottle, Wholly Grain! from Half Moon Bay, Calif.-based Odwalla blends orange, pineapple and mango juices into a smoothie with two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of essential vitamins.

Naturally healthy Jolly Llama Sorbets are blended from top-grade, vine-ripened fruit that’s pureed and frozen immediately, instead of being made from concentrates or juices.

The New York Times spent some time interviewing college students, construction workers, c-store owners and others near the University of Maryland recently to study what it calls the “hottest drink category in the country” right now, energy shots.

Their products have already joined the mainstream, but natural/organic baby food manufacturers keep upping the ante for consumers by introducing exciting new items to the segment.

KIDStrong™ Enterprises has developed a first-of-its-kind all-natural hydration beverage for children ages 4 to 13. The low-sugar, scientifically formulated KIDStrong™ hydration drink currently comes in two flavors, natural orange and natural grape, with more varieties to follow.

Sales in the long-established carbonated drinks segment have been flat to slightly down over the past five years, according to Mintel, a leading market research company. During 2003-08, Mintel estimates the regular soda segment lost 15.6 million consumers aged 18 and over, and the diet soda segment only added half as many, or 7.8 million adult consumers.