General Merchandise

BOSTON — Drug Store News editor-in-chief Rob Eder interviewed Lansinoh Labs VP sales Michelle McLaughlin here at NACDS Marketplace about the company’s leading position in the natural feeding category, and an exciting new line of products from Europe, which Lansinoh acquired this year and currently is launching to U.S. retailers.

BOSTON — Hollywood Fashion Secrets’ fashion fixer products are a favorite among women. And now men can get a little help, too, thanks to the new Decent Man’s Grooming Tools line of wardrobe malfunction solutions.

The collection includes such products as large lint-removing mitts; deodorant residue-removing sponges; shoe shine wipes; instant, no-sew button replacement kits with both black and white buttons; and Pit Protectors to protect shirts and suits from unsightly sweat stains.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Water filter brand Brita has tapped its FilterForGood team to encourage consumers to reduce their bottled water waste through a series of three-day music festivals headlined by Dave Matthews Band.

ATLANTA — Former Unilever executive Michael Polk has been appointed president and CEO of Newell Rubbermaid, effective July 18. He succeeds Mark Ketchum, who is retiring but will remain a director until May 2012.

Ketchum announced in January his intention to retire after being recruited from the board five years ago to lead Newell Rubbermaid through its transformation into a marketing-driven company.

DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark has teamed up with a mobile shopping application for a promotion at Walmart stores.

As part of Kimberly-Clark's integrated commercial program linked to the upcoming release of Disney and Pixar's "Cars 2," Kimberly-Clark said it will use CheckPoints' app to drive shoppers to Walmart stores and engage them with Kimberly-Clark brands, such as Kleenex, Scott and more.

PORTLAND, Ore. — ShedRain has introduced new umbrellas designed to protect users from all types of weather.

As we enter the warm summer months, ShedRain is offering users a way to shed harmful sun rays and protect themselves from the rain with the new ShedRays umbrella, which touts an ultraviolet protection factor of 50+, ShedRain said.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Global Market Development Center’s General Merchandise Marketing Conference held here earlier this month provided for almost 11,000 appointments, in addition to 169 senior executive conferences that were piloted at the GM event, the association reported Tuesday.

Back-to-college merchandise is big business. “College students are starting to represent the most important segment of the back-to-school market,” said Perry James, an analyst with the NPD Group. The segment has grown, Perry said, since the weak job market has caused many college seniors to extend their education through graduate school.