General Merchandise

SAN FRANCISCO — The maker of Purex, Renuzit and Soft Scrub has retained a new agency of record.

Henkel announced it will work with Pereira & O'Dell's creative and strategy departments to develop TV, print, out-of-home and digital assets including social and mobile efforts.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The latest edition of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise is making its Blu-ray and DVD debut on April 17 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" will be available in a limited-edition three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, which includes more than two hours of special features. The film also will be available as a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and as a single-disc DVD.

The economy doesn’t seem to be hurting the As Seen On TV category. A.J. Khubani, CEO of Telebrands, said the company’s business is ahead 20% in 2011 over the previous year, and fourth-quarter sales were up 30%.

“One major drug chain told us that as a nonpharmacy revenue producer, the category is second only to the OTC cold and flu category,” Khubani said. That’s why chain drug retailers continue to devote more space to the category — and not just in the most profitable fourth quarter.

NORTH HILLS, Calif. — A designer and manufacturer of infant and toddler products has introduced a new collection of spill-proof cups.

Munchkin said its Click Lock cups are BPA-free and utilize tactile, visual and audio cues to confirm the cup's lid is properly locked in place. The cups also are available in a variety of designs, colors and styles, including trainer, sippy, straw, flip straw and big kid cups.

LAS VEGAS — An iPhone and iPad waterproofing solution that offers antimicrobial product protection has hit the market.

Seal Shields are form-fitting, polyurethane covers that make iPhones and iPads 100% waterproof, washable and disinfectable, according to the product's manufacturer. The product, which is completely invisible and preserves the original Apple design, contains an antimicrobial fungistatic agent that protects the product by inhibiting the growth of microbial bacteria, mold, mildew and fungi on the products' surfaces.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Glade has introduced its Expressions collection, which features two new designs: the fragrance mist, a refillable home fragrance spray; and an oil diffuser, a nonelectric diffuser that can disperse fragrances for up to 30 days. The four available fragrances include cotton and Italian mandarin; pineapple and mangosteen; fuji apple and cardamom spice; and lavendar and juniper berry. Glade Expressions fragrance mist is available for $4.49; refills are available for $3.49 each.

AVENEL, N.J. — Mizco International has introduced iEssentials’ RoboBuds T earbud headphones for children, featuring a built-in volume control to protect children’s hearing. The new line of earbuds includes five colorful “robot’’ character designs — Phantom, Streke, Electrika, PowerBot and CrimsonRobo. The earbuds are designed with a volume limiting output of 85 decibels. The line was created to provide kids of all ages with a high-performance audio accessory that is safe to use and fun to collect. The earbuds retail for $9.99.

Experts said that despite competition from electronic cards and rising postal fees, there still is a future for the paper greeting card category. Sean O’Malley, an analyst for Wedge Capital, estimated the industry saw 1% unit volume growth last year. He estimated 2011 greeting card sales were $2.5 billion to $3 billion. Nearly 80% of category sales are driven by women ages 30 to 50 years whose “habits die hard,” according to O’Malley. Premium cards and value cards are performing best.