We’re only in January, but 2007 is already shaping up to be a watershed year for the global household and personal products industry. On the top of everyone’s list, of course, is REACH, the new European regulation for chemicals which has many observers warning that REACH could seriously impact marketers’ ability to innovate…not to mention put more than a few suppliers out of business. As has been widely reported, REACH is expected to get underway in the second quarter.

Also this year, expect to see more movement on the natural/organics front. With mega-retailer Wal-Mart pushing the envelope, the organics trend has entered middle America in a big way. But going green isn’t limited to beauty counters; household product marketers are making a concerted effort to reduce their impact on the environment too. Procter & Gamble, for example, is testing concentrated laundry detergents across seven of its best-selling lines including Tide, Gain, Era, Dreft and Cheer. To find out more about P&G’s initiative, be sure to read our article on the laundry detergent market.

Finally, industry observers expect more retailers to enter the beauty segment with their own brands of cosmetics and personal care products. The move is expected to put even more pressure on traditional cosmetics companies to develop innovative products.
   

Happi.com: More Online than Ever in 2007

Everyone agrees that the internet is changing the way consumers shop, entertain themselves and get their news. Happi is changing right along with them. This month, we welcome Joanna Cosgrove to our staff as our online editor. Joanna has extensive experience reporting on the personal care industry. In fact, prior to this appointment, she served as contibuting editor to Beauty Packaging, a sister publication of Happi.

Expanding our staff is just one way that we’re expanding our coverage on the internet. In December, Happi.com rolled out its first webinar on Anti-Aging. The event attracted hundreds of viewers and we received very positive feedback from marketers, suppliers and even regulators. Next month, we’ll continue our webinar series with a session on product formulation. We’ll have more to report on the topic in the coming weeks, so be sure to visit Happi.com to learn more.