BY ANTOINETTE ALEXANDER
Today’s younger men are all about looking good, and many have no qualms with buying skin care products. Men in this technology-savvy consumer group also love gadg-
ets. So, what better way to catch their eye when they’re shopping for personal care products than with illuminating, stylish packaging?
That’s likely what the Clio group had in mind when it developed the new NXT light skin care line for men. Each product in the shave-prep regimen is packaged in a sleek bottle that actually lights up on the shelf and in the consumer’s home.
The company used patent-pending light
technology to create bottles that illuminate
periodically for up to a year.
The collection includes face
wash, low-foam shave gel, post
shave and moisturizer. In June,
the company is expected to
expand the line to include body
wash, deodorant, antiperspirant
and body spray.
The formulas are made with
non-irritating surfactants, lubri-
cants and conditioners derived
from organic compounds or natu-
ral extracts wherever possible. The
products are also paraben-free.
And as part of its commitment to men’s health, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of NXT prod-
ucts is donated to various cancer research organizations, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Given the growth in the men’s skin care segment, men have demonstrated that they are not afraid to buy products made just for them. Now, NXT is looking to leverage that trend and is likely to be a shining star in 2008.
BRAND
SALES*
CATEGORY TOTAL
SKINTIMATE
GILLETTE SERIES
EDGE
GILLETTE FOAMY
GILLETTE SATIN CARE
GILLETTE FUSION HYDRA GEL
EDGE ADVANCED
BARBASOL
PRIVATE LABEL
SKINTIMATE SIGNATURE SCENTS
$264.1 34. 2 29. 7 20. 6 20. 5 19. 3 17. 4 17. 3 14.0 12. 2 10. 7
PERCENT CHANGE
- 3.94% - 34. 9
- 4. 3
- 24. 1 9. 5 1. 1
- 18. 6
- 48. 3 23. 3 3. 3
-860.8
*in millions Source: Information Resources Inc. for the latest 52 weeks ended May 18, 2008, for food, drug and mass, excluding Wal-Mart
BY DOUG DESJARDINS
Pacific Writing Instruments has won accolades for its wishbone-shaped PenAgain pens, and its innovative design has led to big sales, increasing 45 percent in 2007 over the previous year, and mainstream acceptance at mass merchants and pharmacy chains.
But it wasn’t easy. The company toiled in relative obscurity for several years before catching a big break with a trial run at Wal-Mart in 2006.
“Once we got into Wal-Mart and the pens blew through, that opened the door for us,” said Pacific Writing Instruments president Colin Roche, who came up with the innovative design in 1987 during a stint in detention in high school.
The unusual design uses downward pressure from the index finger to make controlling the pen easier. It’s also easier on the hand, providing increased support and the ability to control the pen with a looser grip. That easy-to-use design is why PenAgain is often recommended for people suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Pacific Writing now has three separate models on the market: the Ergo-Sleek, the Ergo-Soft, and the newest model for kidsthe Twist ‘n Write, a mechanical pencil that may eventually become its biggest seller.
BRAND
PERCENT SALES*
CHANGE
- 2.6%
10. 3
- 2. 4
- 15. 6
-0.6
22. 7
- 14.0
- 6. 6
- 2. 1
- 4. 8
- 4. 8
CATEGORY TOTAL
PILOT G2
PRIVATE LABEL
PAPER MATE & WRITE BROTHERS
PILOT EASY TOUCH
SANFORD UNI BALL SIGNO 207
BIC CRISTAL
PILOT PRECISE V5
BIC VELOCITY
PAPER MATE ERASERMATE
PAPER MATE FLAIR
*in millions
Source: Information Resources Inc. for the latest 52 weeks ended May 18, 2008, for food, drug and mass, excluding Wal-Mart
$192.4
22. 7
14.0
10. 7
9. 5
8. 2
6. 9
6. 2
4. 8
4. 8
4. 8
Roche said orders for the Twist ‘n Write pencil are starting to come in from school districts now that teachers have discovered how popular they are with kids.
“There’s a school district in Los Angeles that’s making them mandatory,” said Roche. “They make it easier and more fun for kids to learn how
to write, and that keeps everyone happy.”
The pens retail for a suggested price of $20. And they’ve sparked new interest in an industry that has been static for years.
“What snowboards did to skiing is what PenAgain is doing to the writing instrument industry,” Roche said.
References:
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