Green Household Cleaners Hit Shelves

CAROL ANGRISANI

QUINCY, Mass. — Natural and organic food isn't the only way Stop & Shop/Giant is catering to health and wellness consumers. The Ahold USA unit is having success with new sections created especially for household cleaners marketed as natural and environmentally safe.

The 4-foot sections are in 340 of its Stop & Shop/Giant stores. Each carries about 40 products marketed as eco-friendly. Selections include tub, tile and wood cleaners; wipes; dish and laundry detergents; and air fresheners. Most of the brands are new to Stop & Shop/Giant, and include Method; Sun and Earth; Holy Cow; Seventh Generation; and Imus Greening the Cleaning, a line of “green” laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaners developed by the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Deirdre Imus is the wife of radio personality Don Imus.

“There's a growing segment of the population that's looking for products that don't use harsh chemicals and are ozone-friendly,” company spokesman Rob Keane told SN.

Prices range from about $2.79 for a 32-ounce bottle of Holy Cow ammonia-free, all-purpose cleaner to $9.19 for 100 ounces of Seventh Generation laundry detergent, which is said to be non-toxic, biodegradable and free of chlorine, phosphates, artificial fragrances and dyes.

Segregated in the household cleaning aisle, the sections don't have signage yet, but they may in the near future, according to Keane.

The strategy comes at a time when a growing number of consumers are more interested in whether or not the foods they eat are safe for themselves, their children and the environment. The growing availability of so-called green cleaning products are a natural extension of that mind-set.

When asked to name the most important factor to take into account when selecting a cleaning product, 12% of respondents to a new consumer survey cited environmental safety. This was the No. 2 answer, following performance/effectiveness at 40% and tying with brand loyalty, according to the survey, which was conducted earlier this month by the Soap and Detergent Association, a Washington-based trade group.

“There is a niche of the market that's looking for what's marketed as environmentally safe cleaning products,” said Brian Sansoni, SDA's communications vice president.

Clever marketing is the reason the niche brands are getting the attention, he said. While many traditional cleaners are environmentally safe, manufacturers didn't market them that way in the past. But that's changed, Sansoni said. “Now, brands that we all know are more willing to talk about their environmental stewardship,” he said.

Take SC Johnson, Racine, Wis. In a recent press statement, the marketer said consumers can use its Windex and Fantastik brands with confidence.

“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” said Kelly Semrau, SC Johnson's public affairs vice president. “That's why it's so important for us to make it clear that our products are safe and effective when used as directed.”

SC Johnson is also promoting the fact that it uses the Greenlist process, a patented system that continually reviews products to ensure they contain materials that are the best available for the environment and for consumers. It also stresses that its products do not include hazardous ingredients like 1,4 dichlorobenzene.

Mainstream manufacturers are responding to environmental concerns in other ways. For instance, the ultra-concentrated liquids trend is gaining momentum.

Such products have less water in their formulations. That means the same number of dish loads can be cleaned with a lesser amount of liquid. This has resulted in a wave of “2x” detergents, those packaged in plastic bottles that are about half the size of their traditional 100-ounce counterparts.

“Smaller bottles require less plastic, which means there's less impact on the environment,” the SDA's Sansoni said. “Also, smaller containers require less fuel to ship the products to retailers, which is also good for the environment.”

Method, the leading brand in the new Stop & Shop/Giant sections, even offers a “3x” laundry detergent that is three times smaller.

“There is little doubt that consumers are looking for healthier and more environmentally friendly products in all parts of the store,” George Shumny, Method's sales vice president, told SN.

While such products have long been available in specialty and natural retailer channels, food and drug stores are increasingly getting involved.

Along with Stop & Shop, retailers that have recently started selling Method products include CVS, Longs, Target, Costco and Home Depot, according to Shumny.

“This [trend] is bringing traffic to the center of the store and making the shopping experience much more interesting,” Shumny said.

Stop & Shop/Giant Expands EDLP

QUINCY, Mass. — Items in Stop & Shop/Giant's “green” cleaning sections are included in the retailer's new everyday-low-price strategy for household cleaners. (See related EDLP story on Page 14.)

The retailer just introduced EDLP on a variety of cleaning supplies, including bleach, laundry detergent and fabric softeners. Among the offers on mainstream cleaners: Shout stain remover, 22 ounces, $2.79; and Drano clog remover, 32 ounces, $4.39.

EDLP also exists for some of the green cleaning supplies. Method surface cleaner, 28 ounces, is now $4.39, down from $5.99, while Seventh Generation laundry detergent, 100 ounces, is $9.19, from $11.69.

The price reductions are the latest phase of the Ahold USA unit's Value Improvement Program (VIP), a selective EDLP initiative that has already rolled out to produce, paper products and diapers.

“To provide customers with even greater value, we've lowered everyday prices on many national brands in our household cleaner aisle as well,” Andrea Astrachan, Stop & Shop/Giant's consumer advisor, said in a statement.
— C.A.