06.16.11
A Procter & Gamble Co. officials says the company has postponed launching Tide laundry "pods" in the U.S. until next year to make sure it can produce enough to meet demand.
Dimitri Panayotopoulos, incoming vice chairman for global business, said that the tablets of highly concentrated laundry detergent will be available in early 2012. The Cincinnati-based maker of Pampers diapers and Gillette shavers had planned to launch Tide Pods in the U.S. this summer.
Speaking at a Deutsche Bank analysts meeting in Paris that was webcast, Panayotopoulos -- the company's head of household care until his promotion, set July 1 -- said P&G is seeing lots of interest in what he called a "truly revolutionary product." P&G last year had problems keeping retailers supplied with the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor after its launch.
A new Downy fabric-softener in bead form will launch in September, he said. Called Unstopables (one "p"), the product pledges to keep clothes smelling fresh in the closet for up to 12 weeks.
Panayotopoulos also discussed the July launch of an Ariel laundry detergent upgrade that P&G says uses 3-D technology to get deeper cleaning of clothes. Aimed at consumers in developing countries, it will roll out to 50 markets over the next six months, he said.
"We're very excited about the strength of our innovation pipeline and the initiatives yet to come," he said.
Panayotopoulos's promotion is part of the world's largest consumer products maker's effort to streamline its upper management.