General Merchandise

CINCINNATI Shortly after announcing the expansion of its Future Friendly initiative, Procter & Gamble said that it is compacting its entire U.S. and Canadian portfolio of powder laundry detergents beginning in February 2011.

The new compacted detergents provide consumers with the same number of loads in a detergent carton that is smaller, resulting in a convenient product that is easy to handle and store. The compacted formulas and smaller cartons also allow for increased efficiency, including reduced fuel consumption and a reduction in packaging.

DALLAS Kimberly-Clark's Scott Naturals brand has introduced the Smart Flush bag, a device that reduces toilet water use.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. Redbox announced Sunday that its one billionth movie was rented at one of its automated kiosks in Tampa, Fla.

“One billion rentals is an incredible milestone, as Redbox has quickly become the local video store for millions of consumers nationwide,” said Mitch Lowe, Redbox president. “Our popularity is a testament to our consumers’ loyalty and our steadfast commitment to making movie rentals affordable and convenient for our consumers.”

SANTA MARIA, Calif. A new hand sanitizer from Hardy Diagnostics has made its market debut.

AloeSafe contains aloe vera, vitamin E and lavender oil and is free of glycerin, artificial colors, propylene glycol and parabens, Hardy Diagnostics said. It does not cause drying, and leaves the hands feeling soft and silky, while showing a 99.9% kill rate of potentially infectious bacteria.

CINCINNATI The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced Friday that they have found no cause linking Pampers Dry Max diapers and reports of diaper rash and other skin conditions.

BOSTON A maker of mobile loyalty card applications launched one of its popular smart phone apps for the Apple iPad.

CardStar's app is designed to connect merchants, brands and consumers through existing rewards card programs, the company said. Since launching in 2009, CardStar's app has had 2 million downloads and currently services more than 700,000 active users.

CardStar's customized couponing features:

ST. LOUIS In response to consumers' need for more power and convenient charging options for their smart phones and cell phones, Energizer has developed a universal inductive charger built with Qi technology.

Any device with 5 watts or less, regardless of manufacturer, now can be powered by Energizer's inductive charger, which is designed to charge up to three devices at one time. In related news, Energizer also is developing a Qi sleeve and door for the iPhone and Blackberry, respectively.