General Merchandise

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hallmark is expanding its Recordable Storybook collection by adding two classic titles to the line.

Readers now can add their own voices to "Goodnight Moon" and "Curious You on Your Way," which join the roster of such other classic stories as "Guess How Much I Love You," "Counting Kisses" and "On the Night You Were Born."

WINCHESTER, Va. — Oasis Brands said that its bath tissue brand is continuing its sales momentum.

Oasis said that while its Paseo bath tissue currently is available in select markets, it is one of the fastest-growing brands in the United States over the past six months, according to Nielsen sales data.

Additional sales figures, according to the company, included:

• Paseo is the fastest-growing brand in the United States, with dollar sales having grown by 210% in the last 24 weeks, versus a year ago;

RACINE, Wis. — SC Johnson's Ziploc brand is looking to reduce potential product waste by sponsoring a recycling initiative.

Teaming up with Recyclebank, Ziploc will reduce its environmental footprint by sponsoring the nationwide expansion of Recyclebank's rewards-for-recycling platform, which seeks to keep potential waste out of landfills by increasing recycling behavior. The goal is to divert more than 100 million lbs. of waste from landfills within 24 months, the companies said.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble on Tuesday announced that Robert Steele, vice chairman of global health and well-being, will retire effective Sept. 1.

Steele oversees oral care, feminine care, personal health care, pet care and snacks for P&G.

Between now and September, Steele will serve as vice chairman of healthcare strategy, reporting to P&G chairman, president and CEO Robert McDonald.

As photo processing continues to evolve, retailers are finding new ways to make the department profitable. Bing Liem, VP sales for Fujifilm North America, said retailers need to re-evaluate their existing on-site photo business.


“It’s critical to maximize the use of existing assets,” he said. New product offerings, such as posters, folded cards, calendars and books, help maximize the value of the category, Liem said.


DALLAS — Toilet tissue brand Cottonelle is encouraging consumers to try something new in their bathrooms.

To promote its brand, Cottonelle announced the launch of its "Make the Ultra Switch" sweepstakes. By giving away 90 prizes in 90 days, the company hopes shoppers will seek to purchase Cottonelle's thick toilet paper, the company stated.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brand Vending has added multipacks to its lineup of Sqwishland collectible animals. The new six- and 12-pack Sqwishlander Surprise Mix collections contain an assortment of regular, rare and ultra-rare squishies. The six-packs sell for $4.99, and 12-packs retail for $9.99.


Sales of games and puzzles dipped 6% last year to $1.24 billion, according to the NPD Group, but Adrienne Appell, a spokeswoman for the Toy Industry Association, said that as a category, games have held steady over the past few years.