General Merchandise

CINCINNATI — Febreze officially has launched a new campaign that features real people participating in live scent experiments.

The air freshener brand's Breathe Happy campaign shows consumers' reactions to odor scenarios and the "air transformation" that Febreze provides, the company said.

NEW YORK — Discovery Communications recently announced the launch of a line of branded Discovery Fit & Health consumer products designed to provide proactive health and fitness lifestyle solutions for health-conscious consumers.

RACINE, Wis. — In an effort to reduce waste, SC Johnson has unveiled its latest Windex product that touts 90% less plastic than the traditional 26-oz. trigger bottle.

Offering consumers a greener choice to clean their homes, new Windex Mini is a concentrated refill pouch that "saves six times as much plastic waste that goes into a landfill, compared with a traditional bottle," according to SC Johnson chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson.

NEW YORK — Market share for many environmentally friendly cleaning products has suffered in a tight economy, when consumers are more likely to choose products based on price.


Independent brands, such as Method and Seventh Generation, have held on to their sales. “The consumers for those brands are usually early adopters who have a higher income and are less likely to shop price,” one industry analyst said.


SUPPLIER NEWS — Rockin’ Green’s laundry detergent formulas — Soft, Classic and Hard Rock — will feature a new scent and packaging. The company said it is replacing its original Plain Green Tea’s scent with a scent called Earth, Wind and Orchids. Rockin’ Green said that its Funk Rock product, which is an ammonia bouncer, will be available in a printed, 16-oz. stand-up pouch with a zipper; its Shake It Ups also will be packaged in a printed stand-up pouch, but will feature a spout instead of a zipper.



Photo-processing is evolving, but it is far from finished. “While consumers are capturing, deleting and electronically sharing more images than ever before, they also are motivated to print larger [photos] and utilize their special images in other product forms,” said Bing Liem, VP sales for Fujifilm North America.


Retailers are finding profit opportunities in the “expressions” market, according to Gary Pageau, publisher of content development and strategic initiatives at the Photo Marketing Association.


PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The Super Soaker brand has been a huge hit for Hasbro. The toys have been among the hottest summer products on the market, and new upgraded versions will become the next must-have for water play. 


The newest version in the Hasbro water blaster family is the Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm. The Thunderstorm, introduced this spring, is the first battery-powered soaker on the market and fires a continuous stream of water with no pumping required. The firing range can be up to 25 ft. Nerf Thunderstorm requires four AA batteries and retails for $14.99.

NEW YORK — A new line of Hello Kitty household products are arriving this summer, thanks to a new licensing agreement inked by Sanrio and Vandor.

Through the deal, which is effective immediately, Vandor will produce the collection, which includes such items as eco-friendly shopper totes, as well as ceramic and travel mugs that feature Hello Kitty, a Sanrio brand. The collection will range in price from $2.49 to $9.99.