Truman’s customers never run out to the store when they run out of products. The home cleaning product marketer’s products are only available online at www.Trumans.com; as a result, Truman’s is posting triple-digit gains as consumers in many parts of the US are still sheltering-in-place. According to Co-Founder Alex Reed, the brand has great customer retention and new organic demand from people looking for products that are shipped to home for free.
 
“We've seen a surge in interest from customers, as people have become more attuned to cleaning in recent weeks,” he explained. “In the past month, we’ve hired extra customer service workers and also created a text messaging customer service system, so people can reach out that way, too.”
 
Obviously, consumers appreciate the ease and safety of shopping from home, but Truman’s also got a lift from product shortages in the early days and weeks during the pandemic.
 
“We've seen an increase, too, in people purchasing our subscription plans as they face bare shelves at stores,” explained Reed.
 
As lockdowns get lifted and store shelves restocked, Truman’s is moving on with three new household cleaning products for laundry, dishes and toilets. 
 
Get a Load of This is billed as a zero-waste laundry bar with no so-called toxins, artificial scents or dyes. It handles all laundry types and works just like unit dose formulas. Your Dish Is My Command dishwasher bars offer a spot-free shine without any synthetic fragrances or colors. Both formulas are priced 30 bars for $14.50 or $9 as part of the company’s home care membership bundle. Finally, Reporting for Doodie toilet bars keep harmful bacteria at bay with a weekly application. Six bars cost $9.50 or $6 as part of the company’s home care membership bundle.
 
The launch builds on the company’s success during the past year with its line of spray cleaners, which use refillable bottles and concentrates **(See XXX). 
With tens of thousands of customers, the company last fall raised $5 million investment round targeting expansion, which helped quicken the development of these products. Each uses a proprietary antimicrobial technology that provides a deep clean, and like Truman’s spray cleaners, they ship directly to customers’ doorsteps in fully recyclable and compostable packaging.
 
According to Reed, a couple of issues drove interest in these categories; one is the complete brand fragmentation.
 
“Why does Tide only make detergent? We saw the opportunity to bring the consistent message, and value via one brand with sustainable packaging,” he explained. “Concentrated pods are inefficiently packaged for the shelf. Even the pods are in plastic jugs. This is an innovation that is ecommerce-, not shelf-first.”
 
According to Reed, since its inception, Truman’s has been focused on simplifying cleaning and making it more environmentally friendly. He said that the market leaders annually ship five billion pounds of single-use plastic bottles containing solutions that are 98% water, which is heavy and expensive to ship. Products are shipped in post-consumer recycled packaging. Now, Truman’s is reviewing more categories for entry later in 2020.
 
“We see cleaning through a broad lens (whereas) typical cleaners are fragmented,” explained Reed. “We are trying to reduce toxicity, alleviate the shipping burden and connect with the customer.”
 
The impetus for the new products came from customer inquiries. Consumers were asking questions about what products to use to safely clean a variety of surfaces; since Truman’s focus is making it easier to clean any surface, extending the brand was a no-brainer. 
 
“We interact with our customers every day,” explained Reed, who noted that 60-70% of Truman’s clientele are in the 25-44 age group. Furthermore, 35% of customers are men—proof that guys are actually doing some cleaning…especially in single-person households.
 
All Truman’s ingredients are sourced from the EPA’s Safer Choice list and ingredient information is available on Truman’s website. All Truman’s products are cleaners, not disinfectants. 
 
“We say clean it first and then kill it,” explained Reed. “By cleaning surfaces you can combat germs from entering the system and the home.”
 
And Truman’s will stay at home, regardless of what state governors do. According to Reed, the shop-at-home trend has only just begun and Truman’s is ready to lead the transition to more online ordering; in fact, the company is spending more on customer-directed communications to get the word out about the benefits of online shopping for household cleaners.
 
“I talk to customers everyday and I know everyone has been touched by coronavirus; our message brings levity to the cleaning process but not in an obnoxious way,” he explained. “The pandemic could have wreaked havoc for a startup. I am very appreciative of the support we have received.”