General Merchandise

DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark announced that its Scott Naturals brand has earned the Green Good Housekeeping Seal for three products.

Scott Naturals dry bath tissue, paper towels and napkins have met the Good Housekeeping Green Seal's environmental standard for paper goods, based on recycled content and other factors, Kimberly-Clark said. The Scott Naturals dry bath tissue, paper towels and napkins are made with a blend of virgin material and at least 20% recycled material in products or packaging.

It’s called automated retailing. While retail merchants MaxWellness and Kroger are still in the pilot phase, more or less, this should become a fast brand extension that can reach consumers in remote locations — the bus stop/train depot, the hospital, the airport, the school, the gym or inside another noncompetitive retailer’s box.


The advantages are just too good for these mini-boxes not to take hold. To begin with, there’s brand extension. Only the Internet can be as effective in attributing a national presence to a regional operator. 


SUPPLIER NEWS — A new device designed to offer home climate and aroma control has hit the market. New Honeywell with Febreze Freshness Cool and Refresh fan brings together Honeywell’s ability to circulate indoor air while utilizing Febreze Set & Refresh scent cartridges that are designed to eliminate odors, Honeywell said. A single scent cartridge can last up to 30 days, depending on the fan speed that’s used. The Honeywell with Febreze Freshness Cool and Refresh fan is available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.


Customer loyalty has always been paramount for retailers, but as we wade into 2012 and beyond, it is becoming increasingly evident that retailers have a renewed focus on establishing a strong sense of loyalty and creating an engaging customer experience through cross-channel initiatives that are touching customers both in and — perhaps more importantly — out of the store.


Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Lewis Drug aims to be its customers’ “first stop for everything,” and the “Four Seasons” department in its newest store helps the chain fill that role.


The 4,000-sq.-ft. environmentally controlled room is a setting in which the chain can maximize its seasonal offerings throughout the year. In the winter months, Lewis kept the room at 45 degrees and displayed live Christmas trees and stands, wreathes, pine cones and twig dogwood branches, as well as shovels, snow blowers and other seasonal merchandise. 


Self-service is becoming more prevalent as consumers grow accustomed to using kiosks for everything from self-checkout in the supermarket to checking in for their flights. Experts estimated that by 2016, 3 million kiosks will be in use globally.


OAKLAND, Calif. — Clorox has partnered with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses to launch a new healthcare resource for Hispanic families.

Clorox and NAHN said the Hispanic Nurses Network consists of Spanish-speaking nurses in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, who will act as healthcare advocates to share health information and educate Hispanics on how to keep their homes healthy through media interviews at local outlets and Q&A sessions at Facebook.com/CloroxLatino.

BURBANK, Calif. — ABC Studios is set to release the first seasons for four of its newest shows on DVD just weeks after their respective season finales.

Dramas "The River," "Missing" and "Scandal," along with comedy "GCB," will be released in May/June. Each season one DVD collection will include exclusive bonus features, deleted scenes, blooper reels and featurettes from favorite characters.