washingtonpost.com
As the world's top licensor, Disney profits from lending its characters to tons of outlets, from T-shirt makers to toy manufacturers. But the supermarket is one of very few thriving economic sectors these days; while parents are spending fewer discretionary dollars on playthings and extra clothes for their kids, most aren't cutting back on basic groceries. Families are reportedly dining out less and stocking up at the supermarket instead. And now a slew of cartoon characters are fortuitously there to greet them in nearly every aisle.