By Jennifer Quail
CINNAMINSON, N.J.–Quickie is addressing today’s hot topics in the cleaning category and beyond with new product lines that battle bacteria, are kind to the environment and even have a fashionable edge.
Michael Magerman, chief executive officer of Quickie, acknowledged stick goods are not typically viewed as a “high-tech area,” but said there were indeed methods for the company to address growing demands for eco-friendly products, as well as provide extra protection against food-borne and other bacteria.
“As a company, we’re constantly trying to figure out where the consumer is,” Magerman said. “We recognized the growing consciousness to be better corporate citizens and we realized that doing so doesn’t mean changing everything, and is really a very compelling value proposition.”
For the environmentally friendly household tools, the company went with a tagline of “Green and It’s Clean,” hoping to draw immediate attention to the products’ construction. The cleaning brushes are made from recycled, natural and sustainable materials, such as bamboo and post-consumer waste sawdust, and even the products’ tags are green, with twine used to secure the tags and soy-based ink on the tags themselves.
Magerman said the line’s timing is proving perfect as more retailers are working on specific environmental sections and merchandising in their stores.
For combating germs comes the Home-Pro series of products engineered with Microban Antimicrobial Product Protection, which is designed specifically to combat stain- and odor-causing bacteria throughout the life of the products.