Product Packaging

GNC Holdings Inc. reached an agreement with the New York attorney general on its Herbal Plus products, pledging to more stringently test its supplements and follow U.S. Food and Drug Administration manufacturing recommendations. In response to state inquiries, GNC has conducted "rigorous tests" to show that its products are safe and properly labeled, according to a statement Monday. GNC also will begin performing DNA barcoding on products — a method of confirming that supplements have the right ingredients — and add signage to help consumers figure out what they're buying.

According to a report from IBISWorld, a global business intelligence provider, the prices of paper and packaging products are on an upward trend as input costs rise for upstream suppliers and consumer shopping trends (i.e., more purchases being made online) drive demand for shipping materials and services. The markets that are anticipated to bear the brunt of these rising prices include corrugated boxes (price to increase 3 percent); molded fiber packaging (price to increase 4.2 percent); and packaging services (price to increase 2.5 percent).

Returned goods are an issue for retailers throughout the year, but they can really cause headaches in the aftermath of the holiday sales peak. You can set your calendar by it: customers who, for some reason, aren't satisfied with the gifts they've received or the purchases they've made will begin returning those items en masse even before the first quarter is over.

With "likes" and "favorites" taking center stage in retail, trends like "retail hauling" (i.e., the YouTube version of calling a friend to brag about a recent shopping spree) are creating a market environment in which posting to Instagram, Facebook and other social sites is now a natural follow-up to making a purchase.