• Ad Age, Tuesday, October 19, 2010 8:18 AM

Jack Neff reports that Walmart has gotten a six-month head start on the companies whose brands it carries by rolling out Fat Foam, a no-drip hair color product based on technology developed in Japan. Women can put the color in and then "go about their day" without worrying about it dripping on the floor or staining clothes, says Michael Smith, senior buyer for hair care and hair color at Walmart.

The company behind the product is Hoyu, which bought Samy, a "masstige" hair-care brand founded by stylist Samuel Suarez in Miami. Samy had planned to launch of Hoyu's foam hair color in the U.S. in 2012, but Smith persuaded it to roll out exclusively at Walmart for six months. Early sales are three times faster than expected, Walmart says.

Look for similar partnerships in the future. "In my opinion, it exemplifies Walmart's willingness and eagerness to partner with all suppliers, even smaller suppliers, to bring our customers true innovation that's exclusive to us for a certain period of time," says Colleen Sheedy, the company's marketing manager for beauty and personal care.

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