WNBD news -
BARRIE, ON, Mar 05, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Winning Brands Corporation
(PINKSHEETS: WNBD) (FRANKFURT: WMU) (www.WinningBrands.ca) announces
commencement of formal marketing of its domestic KIND Laundry Detergent and KIND
Fabric Softener to U.S. drycleaners for sale to consumers as a retail item
within U.S. drycleaner operations. This is being done in association with the
Drycleaning & Laundry Institute's Fabricare publication to the trade. It is a
result of Winning Brands' earlier testing in Canada to determine consumer
satisfaction with KIND Laundry Products at home and the feasibility of utilizing
the drycleaner store environment as a point of sale. Commencing immediately,
U.S. drycleaners who are members of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute will
receive regular information about how to add this new source of revenue to their
operations. The launch poster image is attached.
The development is significant for Winning Brands because it provides an
additional reason for drycleaners in the USA to work with the company. While it
is already known that Winning Brands is the manufacturer of SMART Wet Cleaning
Solutions, those solutions are not suitable for the drycleaners who are still
using traditional systems for their drycleaning -- which is still the majority.
It is the policy of Winning Brands to respect the technology choices made by
individual operators and find ways to be relevant to their needs across the
industry regardless of individual operators' technology platform. A universal
feature of all retail drycleaning operations is that they have a lobby for
customer interface and payment. It is in this lobby that KIND will now be
available at participating U.S. drycleaners. Winning Brands CEO Eric Lehner puts
the development into context -- "It is estimated that there are more than 30,000
drycleaner locations to which it is suitable to offer revenue enhancing retail
products. Consumers spend millions on domestic laundry detergent and fabric
softener in stores, leaving the drycleaner out in the cold. That doesn't make
sense because the drycleaner is the garment cleaning professional. Now the
drycleaner doesn't have to be left out of this revenue. Domestic KIND Laundry
Products are a terrific addition to the drycleaner's revenue stream. Drycleaning
customers are already more advanced in the care that they are willing to
exercise with their garments. Now, through the industry's vast distribution of
drycleaners, consumers will have the opportunity to pick-up particularly good
eco-responsible KIND laundry detergent and fabric softener for use at home when
they pick-up or drop off goods at the drycleaner or are waiting to pay for their
drycleaning. KIND products are particularly suitable to be sold in a
professional environment. The same business model is already very successful in
hair salons, amongst veterinarians and other service providers who have special
products for their customers."
In preparation for the launch, Winning Brands has manufactured and positioned a
special run of approximately 7,000 bottles each of KIND Laundry Detergent and
KIND Fabric Softener in its Buffalo, New York warehouse. This pre-positioning of
inventory for the launch will enable the company to respond promptly to
enquiries and opportunities. Lehner points out why this new arrangement is
mutually beneficial with the industry. "If the typical drycleaner sold even one
bottle per day to its existing clientele, the industry as a whole would be
diverting an additional $100,000 per day of consumer purchases toward the
drycleaning industry from more typical channels of distribution where domestic
laundry detergent is sold. This figure is based on a 40% profit margin for a
bottle sold at $7.99 each. It's refreshing to be able to offer the industry a
simple and positive enhancement to its gross receipts at a time when the
industry is reeling from a perfect storm of challenges," remarks Lehner. KIND
Laundry Detergent is highly concentrated in order to provide up to 32 loads in
the convenient 32 oz bottle. At $0.25 per load for domestic use, KIND is neither
the most expensive in its category nor the least. It is Winning Brands' policy
to be highly competitive within the premium end of the market.
Production of KIND Laundry Products takes place at the Grand Rapids, Michigan
facilities of Surefil, LLC and in the St. Catharines, Ontario facilities of
Niagara Mist Marketing Ltd. subsidiary of Winning Brands Corporation. Winning
Brands' production unit has recently qualified for listing with the U.S.
Government Central Contractor Registration service and now holds a spot in the
U.S. Army & Air Force Exchange Service system. KIND is amongst the company's
offerings in this channel as well. Winning Brands products are suitable for use
by individual consumers, industry or government. Winning Brands' mission is to
replace hazardous chemicals in widespread use with safer alternatives. Winning
Brands also manufactures other emerging alternative cleaners such as Winning
Colours Stain Remover, CLEAN1, and SMART Wet Cleaning Solutions.
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