General Merchandise

Move over Snuggie and ShamWow — more direct-response products are coming to retail.


“Over the past five years, there’s been an explosion of these products at retail,” said Tom Haire, editor of Response Magazine, a publication that covers the direct-response industry. “Retailers see products that fly off the shelves because they’ve been advertised so heavily, and manufacturers see an opportunity to extend the life of the brand.”

WAYNE, N.J. — IdeaVillage’s new EasyFeet is the latest introduction in the active foot care As Seen On TV category. The flip-flop-like product — called a car wash for the feet — has 10,000 soft-scrubbing bristles and a built-in pumice stone to clean feet and rub away dead, dry skin on the heels. Suction cups hold EasyFeet in place, so consumers can safely use the product on tub and shower surfaces.


EasyFeet ships in March and will retail for $9.99. Idea­Village EVP Ronald Boger called EasyFeet a “monster hit for 2011.”

CINCINNATI — Fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons is adding "fabulosity" to Bounty's "We Love Our School" Week.

As part of the paper towel brand's "We Love Our School" Week, which kicked off on Valentine's Day, Kimora Lee Simmons announced Friday the launch of the Make a Clean Difference Pledge, hosted at Bounty's Facebook page. The pledge allows parents and teachers to submit their schools to support clean, creative learning environments for children.

Consumers may have a bit more to spend for the 2011 back-to-school season, so retailers should tweak their merchandise plans to accommodate.


Perry James, an analyst at the NPD Group, said that over the past few years, dollar trends in school supplies have not kept pace with unit supplies. Consumers also have been waiting until the last minute to shop. “As the economy gets better, retailers should be careful about too many promotions late in the season,” James said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hallmark has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to make sending greeting cards hassle-free.

New postage-paid greetings, which will range in price from $2.69 to $3.99, feature the U.S. Postal Service's Intelligent Mail bar code on the front of the envelope. Acting as a first-class stamp, Hallmark's postage-paid greetings have an added convenience so consumers can sign, seal and send cards without worrying about adding a stamp to the envelope.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble's Bounty brand has partnered with PTO Today, an organization focused on filling unmet school needs through parent-teaching partnerships to promote clean, creative learning environments nationwide.

The "We Love Our School" week, which kicked off Monday, offers participating schools a Bounty Clean Kit with enough Bounty and Mr. Clean product to clean all of their classrooms. The cleaning program is helping to mobilize volunteers in 1,000 schools and 2,500 classrooms nationwide.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble is extending its Have You Tried This Yet? campaign through a partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Have You Tried This Yet? (¿Ya Probaste Esto?) will be supported through Entre Comadres, a multibrand platform created as a partnership between P&G and LULAC, one of the largest, national nonprofit Hispanic organizations. P&G will implement posters and product samples at participating laundromats and check cashing centers in select locations throughout Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Clorox recently launched the "Quick & Dirty" cleaning guide for bachelors on its website.