U.S. Nonwovens Joins P&G With Dual Pod Laundry Technology

BRENTWOOD, N.Y., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Proctor & Gamble Co. has launched what it calls the biggest laundry innovation in more than a quarter century with Tide & Cascade Pods.  This innovation may help combat the downward spiral of detergent sales in the past couple of years.  "Dual Pods are highly effective, user friendly, & convenient," says Rody Mehdizadeh, chief operating officer of Brentwood, N.Y.-based U.S. Nonwovens Corp. (USN).

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34322 )

Currently USN is in high level discussions with global CPG companies in efforts to license and/or sell USN's newly granted patents as P&G is the only other company aside from USN to market Dual Pod Technology. 

Industry analysts expect Unilever (Surf®), Reckitt Benckiser (Finish®), Henkel Dial (Purex®), Church & Dwight (Arm & Hammer®) and The Clorox Company (Clorox®) to speed up plans for dual pod technologies and possibly even try to beat Tide to market. 

Sales of liquid detergent fell 3%, and sales of powder detergent fell 10% in the 52 weeks ending March 20th 2011, according to Symphony IRI data that excludes Walmart. According to IRI data reported by Deutsche Bank, sales at Walmart are down 10% in liquid detergent and 20% in powder last quarter. "Global CPG powerhouses must innovate convenience at a value now, in efforts to curb the down trend," says Mehdizadeh.  It's no wonder P&G has backed its patented Dual Pod Technology for Tide, Cascade, Etc. with a $150 million marketing budget. 

According to an industry publication, P&G VP-North American Fabric Care Alex Keith said Pods had gotten the highest consumer satisfaction scores ever in testing for a laundry product.

Mehdizadeh is confident that multi dose pods (Powder, Liquid, Gel etc) will help assume a substantial share of the 6.5 billion North American Laundry market in the next decade.

SOURCE U.S. Nonwovens