My neighbor is moving. He’s a good neighbor; quiet, willing to lend a hand and best of all, he lives several houses down the street! Good fences make good neighbors, but in lieu of a fence, several hundred feet works just fine. Anyway, he’s moving and trying to clear out decades of debris, clumps of clutter or, as he likes to call them—antiques.


“Please stop by and pick up anything you’d like,” he pleaded. “We have some really nice pieces and I’d like you to get a look at them before we put everything up for sale.”


Uh, no thanks. There may be a bit of treasure in your trash, but I’m not willing to go digging. After all, I’ve got more than enough crap of my own in the basement, garage and attic.


Walmart executives apparently feel the same way. The company is now charging slotting fees, as well as “distribution center fees.” In fact, those fees could represent 10% of the value of the inventory warehoused in Walmart’s distribution centers. Walmart realizes what tidy homeowners have known all along—there’s a cost involved in holding on to all that stuff that nobody wants.


The move is expected to drive smaller players out of the world’s biggest retailer. Only the top dogs like Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson and L’Oréal will have the wherewithal to match Walmart’s new terms. That means smaller players will go away or go on the internet, which, in many instances is a basement for unwanted brands. To find out how the retailer’s plans impact the household and personal care sectors, visit Happi.com this month for our Q&A with Mike Musso of Conway MacKenzie Inc.


But to find out how a company rolls out 200 products in a quarter, yet still manages its inventory, read Lush Is Flush with Novel Ideas on p. 46 in this issue. Also this month, we report on the latest news in oral care (p.48), household care (p. 53), personal cleansers (p. 65) and fine fragrance (p. 61).


We hope that you enjoy this edition of Happi; as always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. And remember, when you’re through reading this issue don’t toss it in the trash; put it in the recycling bin!


Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]