Cincinnati Enquirer
Procter & Gamble said it wanted to spur debate over racial bias when it released the two-minute clip that doesn't hawk any P&G brands, but rather depicts African-American parents discussing race and discrimination with their children. It ends with the message: "It's time for everyone to #TalkAboutBias."
Drug Store News
Aquaphor is in the middle of its biggest launch ever to bring the first ointment body spray to the category. Aquaphor Ointment Body Spray contains the same ingredients as Aquaphor Healing Ointment. The spray uses a patent-pending non-ozone-depleting aerosol system to deliver a fine, continuous spray, even upside down. It is set to launch in food, drug and mass retailers in September.
Refinery29
A Reddit user discovered a crop of blank Supreme tees in a decidedly unusual place: his local Idaho Idaho Kmart. The mere act of finding a piece of Supreme clothing outside of one of the skatewear brand's notoriously mobbed stores is basically impossible. Subsequently, blank tees bearing the valuable Supreme tag have been spotted in Kmarts across the country.
Washington Post
Toyota and Mazda will build a $1.6 billion assembly plant in the United States and work together to develop electric car and advanced safety technologies. The plant is expected to produce up to 300,000 cars a year and create jobs for 4,000 workers. It is expected to begin operations in 2021, but a location has not yet been decided.
Fast Company
E-commerce startup Stitch Fix has reportedly confidentially filed for an IPO. The five-year-old company's shtick is to send users a personalized box each month-a "Fix"-filled with five items of clothing, shoes, or accessories that they can either return or keep. Stitch Fix counts among its competitors Rent the Runway, Le Tote, and MM.LaFleur.
Supermarket News
Walmart is reacting quickly and aggressively to Lidl's entry to the U.S., according to an analyst who recently conducted in-depth tours of some markets in the Southeast where the two chains compete. "Walmart is being really aggressive in terms of watching what Lidl, and presumably Aldi, are doing, and you can tell they are in a fight and are not willing to give up customers," said Rupesh Parikh, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.
Chain Store Age
J.C. Penney has launched the first-ever "Project Runway" brand, with the collection inspired by the popular Lifetime show and its design contestants. Currently available in over 500 Penney stores and online, the line made its debut with a summer preview collection with the full assortment planned for Sept. 8. Penney announced it will be the exclusive retailer partner for "Project Runway" seasons 16 and 17.
Drug Store News
Procter & Gamble is launching its child-resistant tub closure on its Tide Pods and Gain Flings tubs in an effort to reduce accidents related to its liquid laundry packs, the company said. The lids require individuals to squeeze both sides and twist at the same time to open. Past efforts have included bags with a child-guard zipper and the addition of a bitter substance to the pack's outer film.
The New York Times
The FDA frequently finds contamination, illegal ingredients and other problems in the soaring quantities of imported cosmetics, and it has only "limited resources" to inspect the shipments. Just six full-time inspectors monitor three million shipments of cosmetics coming in each year - lipsticks, eyeliners, nail polish, face powders, tattoo inks and other products.
Cincinnati Enquirer
Procter & Gamble has scheduled its annual shareholder meeting for Oct. 10, setting the stage for a showdown with one activist investor: hedge fund boss Nelson Peltz. P&G anticipates its final tab for the showdown will cost it $35 million - about the cost of seven Super Bowl commercials. The company has already spent $950,000 so far.