According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), imports at major retail container ports in the U.S. saw an unexpected increase over the holidays. While cargo volume does not directly correlate with sales, correlate directly to sales, it indicates retailers’ expectations for sales.

“We won’t see final sales numbers for a few more days, but import volume suggests that retailers had a strong holiday season,” says Jonathan Gold, vice-president of Supply Chain and Customs Policy for the NRF. “Retailers don’t import merchandise unless they think they can sell it.”

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.64 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) in November. This was down 1.6 per cent from October, asmost imported holiday merchandise had already arrived. However, this was up 11.2 per cent from a year earlier.

Previously, the NRF had predicted a year-over-year increase of 3.6 per cent.

December was estimated at 1.54 million TEU, up 7 per cemt year-over-year. Additionally, its annual forecast called for $655.8 billion in 2016 holiday sales during November and December, a 3.6 per cent increase over 2015, while November sales were up 5 per cent year-over-year.

Cargo volume for 2016 is now estimated at 18.8 million TEU, up 2.9 per cent from 2015. Total volume for 2015 was 18.2 million TEU, up 5.4 per cent from 2014.

Pure Brazilian, a manufacturer of cold-pressed, high-pressure processed coconut water, has appointed Rob Paladino as its new CEO. Paladino joins the company following a two year term as CEO of WTRMLN WTR, a cold-pressed juice brand.

During his time as CEO of WTRMLN WTR, Paladino oversaw the brand’s record triple-digit growth. With his guidance, the brand reported 300 per cent growth last year, with a retail expansion to over 15,000 locations across the U.S. The company also secured a capital raise led by CAVU Venture Partners, as well as investment from Beyoncé.

Diego Garcia, founder of Pure Brazilian, told BevNet that this incredible feat is what led him to originally admire Garcia.

“Of all the new brands that popped out in the last four years in this whole sort of functional beverage wave, by far the one that there was a lot of excitement around was WTRMLN WTR,” he says. “If there was a brand that I really admired, it was them, and I know Rob played a huge role in that. So bringing that to Pure Brazilian will allow me to focus on partnerships and the creative side, which is also something I think we can really now take to the next level. (Xanax) ”

Paladino will look to expand distribution of Pure Brazilian, also focusing on the optimization of the company’s supply chain.

“The strategic mission of Pure Brazilian to acquire plantations in Brazil’s northeastern states in the ideal Amazon biome, and controlling the supply chain from first planting, is a strategic advantage in a category projected to grow to $4.2B worldwide by 2019,” Paladino said in a press release. “It’s an honor to lead this Farm-to-Bottle mission working with an impressive team of founders.”

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported total sales for its first quarter of $28.5 billion USD, a number that’s up 1.1 per cent from a year prior in constant currency terms. The company, which has taken a multichannel approach to its growth—including the leveraging of its beauty section, the building of pharmacy partnerships, and its acquisition of Rite Aid—is “pleased” with this progress.

Stefano Pessina, CEO of the company, anticipates growth in the second quarter of 2017, a result of WBA’s “new strategic pharmacy partnerships.”

The company saw sales drop in its US retail pharmacy division (which includes beauty) by .9 per cent, suggesting that this was due to the closure of beauty.com and drugstore.com. However, the company’s Q1 report suggests that this was offset by good performance in the health and wellness category.

Walmart and Visa’s six-month argument over interchange fees has finally come to an end. Last Thursday, the two companies announced that they had come to an agreement, but made no mention of how it was reached.

“Visa cardholders can once again use their Visa credit cards as a form of payment in all Walmart stores across Canada,” Carla Hindman, spokeswoman for Visa Canada told CBC. Starting tomorrow, “Visa credit cards will be accepted at all Canadian Walmart stores, including in Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ont.”

The aforementioned markets were the only ones affected by Walmart’s threat to stop accepting Visa cards.

The issue was caused by interchange fees, which retailers are charged for processing transactions. Most often, they are a percentage of the total value of goods sold. Consumers do not pay these fees directly, but they often settle the costs through higher priced goods.

Walmart noted that Visa’s fees were much higher than other card companies, while Visa says it offers Walmart one of its lowest fees. With this agreement, Walmart may see an increase in sales from customers who boycotted due to the Visa ban.

With the 150^th anniversary of Confederation upon us, industry experts are suggesting that Canadian ads are going to take an emotional turn. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is certainly following this trend: recently, it released its “#EatTogether” campaign, which tells the story of multicultural residents of an apartment complex coming together for an impromptu meal.

According to the company, the message of the ad—which is a departure from its usual campaigns—is about unity and community-building through the vehicle of food. This storytelling approach, which is used to create consumer attachment to different brands, will be featured heavily during Canada’s sesquicentennial.

“Creating what we call film versus a commercial; it’s definitely a first time doing this. The 150th year for Canada is a momentous occasion. It really felt like the significance of the occasion required a different way in,” says Loblaw’s senior vice-president of marketing, Uwe Stueckmann. “We felt it was important to do something that isn’t about trying to sell a product, that isn’t about trying to sell anything, really. It’s more about creating this movement of getting Canadians to eat together.

During the campaign, which will run until Canada Day, Loblaw will use social media to interact with Canadians. It will be holding a contest, during which it will ask Canadians to discuss how their culinary skills are influenced by Canada’s cultural diversity.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is also moving in this direction with its ads, launching a campaign called “#Make150Count.” With this, they asked Canadians aged 16 to 25 to describe how they would use $150 to “help communities prosper.” The company has yet to release video advertisements on the subject.

If you’re thinking about launching advertising campaigns in the upcoming months, consider playing off of this national sentimentality. By playing toward the heart—as well as the mind—of the consumer, you’re sure to find success.

Whole Foods Market has begun to air a new ad campaign, accompanied by the tagline “We Believe in Real Food.” The new video clips discuss the ways in which Whole Foods’ selection of goods is superior to those of its competitiors.

In 2016, CEO John Mackey noted that Whole Foods would increase marketing efforts in 2017. Until now, the company has been self-described as “on-again, off-again” with its national ad presence, deciding to allocate its funds elsewere. The last campaign, called “Values Matter,” was launched in 2014.

Bill Kirk, an analyst for RBC Capital Markets, told Supermarket News that this new campaign demonstrates Whole Foods’ confidence in stabilizing sales.

“While a television ad, by no means, assures acceleration, we consider it more likely to improve trends than cause them to slow,” Kirk said.  “We believe this is a positive development that suggests Whole Foods’ 2016 pursued strategies have reached a point where it’s time to communicate the company’s progress.”

Nature’s Gate, a leader in the natural personal care industry, has launched its first-ever natural Professional Hair Care Line through a national distribution partnership with Sally Beauty. Keeping the organization’s eco-conscious consumers in mind, the new line promises salon professional performance with a premium blend of healthy efficacious ingredients, ultra-hydrating moisturizers, and natural plant and fruit extracts to treat the toughest hair concerns. The new collection offers five professional shampoos and conditioners: Thick & Full, Anti-Frizz, Color Protect, Repair, and Calming.

Nature’s Gate Professional Shampoos are formulated with superfood ingredients and premium botanicals to help provide superior conditioning properties, improve texture of hair, enhance shine and luster while making hair softer, smoother, and easier to manage. Nature’s Gate Professional Conditioners are formulated with Abyssinian Oil, Quinoa Protein, Panthenol and Dimethicone to deeply condition, hydrate, smooth and increase shine and luster in hair.

Nature’s Gate is one of the few natural professional brands distributed by Sally Beauty and offers Vegan, Paraben Free, Non GMO, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and Cruelty Free ingredients with no Sodium Lauryl/Laureth/Coco Sulfates, Phthalates, Butylene Glycol or Artificial colors.

“There is a shift in the beauty market toward a higher demand for natural products,” says Nature’s Gate Marketing Director, Terry Sarian. “We’re very excited to partner with Sally Beauty to deliver premium products to both consumers and professionals, without compromise.”

Sally Beauty is the world’s largest retailer of professional beauty supplies, operating more than 2,800 stores worldwide and offering 7,000 professional quality products for hair, skin, and nails to both retail customers and salon professionals. The Nature’s Gate collection of Professional Shampoos and Conditioners are now available to purchase at Sally Beauty stores or online at http://www.sallybeauty.com/.

About Nature’s Gate 

Nature’s Gate is the leader in the natural personal care industry offering wholistic beauty products from hair to toes, economically-sound without sacrificing substance or quality. Founded in 1972 with a vision to create products containing only the freshest and cleanest ingredients from nature, two brothers from Venice, CA created the first Rainwater Herbal Shampoo using natural rainwater as the primary ingredient. Since the company’s inception, Nature’s Gate continues to be inspired by Mother Nature and is committed to creating a path to a better, greener brand while embodying the wholistic lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.naturesgate.com/