Pomegranates are big business, which means that the edible seeds — more often called arils — of the currently ubiquitous fruit are poised for a sales spike of their own.

Consumers now can sip their way to a healthier, glowing complexion with Yogi Skin DeTox.

Against a trying backdrop of persistently weak economic conditions, fierce competition and financially wary shoppers, supermarket produce departments faced much harsher headwinds during the past 12- month period than they have in recent years, as evidenced by marginal comparable-sales gains and a tentative outlook for the balance of the year, according to results of Progressive Grocer's 2009 Annual Produce Operations Review.

Total supermarket sales were $430.3 billion, up $13.2 billion from the $417.2 billion recorded in 2007 -- continuing the trend of slightly higher percentage increases in each of the past five years, according to Progressive Grocer's 62nd Annual Consumer Expenditures Study (CES), now greatly expanded from the eight-page print edition to 35 pages of research.