{"id":16862,"date":"2024-05-15T06:23:38","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T12:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=16862"},"modified":"2024-05-15T06:23:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T12:23:38","slug":"pcc-solution-series-formulating-for-retail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/16862\/pcc-solution-series-formulating-for-retail\/","title":{"rendered":"Solution Series: Formulating for Retail"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Retailer requirements have become far more robust and difficult to navigate for today\u2019s CPG producers.\u00a0 However, the benefits of better promotion, shelf space, visibility, increased sales, etc., are more than worth the efforts. When formulating for retailers such as Target<\/a>, Walmart<\/a> and Amazon<\/a>, you will find a mix of sustainability, company, product, and ingredient level requirements. Many formulators are left asking themselves, how do I create a product that will qualify for these special programs? What ingredients in my products are on which retailer lists?\u00a0 How do I know if I qualify for one program but might have problems with another?<\/p>\n

If it feels overwhelming, you are not alone! Let\u2019s do an introduction to some of these programs and the types of considerations you need to have in mind.<\/p>\n

First when formulating for programs, particularly retailer programs, there are structural differences that are worth educating yourself on. Each retailer program is crafted for their purposes which means they might be entirely driven by ingredient screening or might include other attributes of the product or the company that makes it. Depending on your company\u2019s needs and the specific product category you are formulating within, some programs may not even be relevant for your organization.<\/p>\n

To illustrate this, let\u2019s take a quick look at the three retailers we have already mentioned. Walmart operates a Clean Beauty program that only applies to health and beauty products, but this program is nested under a larger program called Built for Better, which applies to more product categories and uses different qualification rules. In contrast, Amazon does not operate a \u201cclean\u201d program in any product category. Their Climate Pledge Friendly program is much broader, covering multiple product categories, with only limited consideration of ingredient selection. The Amazon program leverages existing, third-party certifications systems that can be used to identify products that exhibit climate benefits.\u00a0 \u00a0Target\u2019s Clean program is nested within a broader product tagging program organized around a \u201cwellness\u201d theme.\u00a0 Focused largely on ingredient selection, Target Clean has category-specific lists of prohibited ingredients and covers products in Health and Beauty, Cleaning Supplies, OTC and Supplements.<\/p>\n

As a formulator, it is helpful to have in-depth knowledge of each of these programs and how your products need to be designed to take advantage of the benefits offered. However, trying to keep up with retailer requirements, SKUs, and formulation versions can be a daunting task.\u00a0 Let\u2019s simply start with the summary below of the three programs mentioned already.<\/p>\n

Target Clean<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why formulate for Target Clean? Target does a great job at providing special marketing benefits to products that meet their Target Clean requirements. From endcap displays to online promotions, they put Clean certified products front and center to their customers. Here is a summary of key elements of the Target Clean Program.<\/p>\n