Time to rethink that tedious morning elevator ride. ThyssenKrupp, a German conglomerate whose specialty is automotive technology, recently unveiled an elevator that can move sideways as well as up and down and even diagonally too, thanks to magnetic levitation system. According to ThyssenKrupp, the Multi system would decrease elevator wait times to a maximum of 30 seconds, cut buildings’ elevator footprint by up to half and conserve energy. Even more impressive, the technology could revolutionize building design, freeing architects to create buildings in a variety of shapes and enabling skyscraper designs that are two miles high! With Multi, it seems, the sky is literally the limit!

Moving sideways may break new ground in building design, but it’s not so good when you’re trying to boost sales and gain market share. This month (p. 55) we look at the US laundry category and find that despite breakthrough unit dose technology, the category is still in search of growth as sales of traditional liquids and powders plunge. Luckily, some of the biggest names in the laundry business, and some small ones too, tell us that they have new technology set to launch that could provide a lift to this multi-billion dollar category—unfortunately, though, at press time marketers weren’t ready to divulge their plans.

To learn more about companies that are clearly on the up and up, be sure to read Melissa Meisel’s cover story on fast-moving skin care companies (p. 61). Smaller players are making names for themselves despite heavy competition in another crowded category. Also this month, we report on the latest fragrance trends in the household fragrance market (p. 49).

It’s a new year, which is always a good time for a fresh start filled with new ideas. This month, for example, we publish a new column, “Safety Assessment in Skin Care,”  by Nava Dayan, which starts on p. 41.

The Happi staff has a few more new ideas that we’ll be sharing with you in the months ahead. Join us as we head in other directions, but always with the same goal of helping your business reach the top!

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]