My SD Moms (StatePoint) Navigating store aisles is more complicated than merely dodging other shoppers. With 50,000 new products introduced to consumers each year, it also means deciding which are best
for you and your family. Without guidance, this can be overwhelming.
With this in mind, “Product of the Year,” the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, has announced this year’s winners, which are backed by the votes of over 40,000 consumers.
The purpose of Product of the Year is to guide consumers to the best products as voted on by their peers. This year’s winners can serve as a well-vetted guide to traversing store aisles to find innovative products:
1. Pantry Upgrades
Consumers this year voted for food products that offer healthier pantry upgrades. For those seeking healthier options, the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Smoothies, which won for the “Better for You” category, blends yogurt and fruit. The winner of the “Condiments” category, FRENCH’s Tomato Ketchup, is free of gluten, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors.
For sweet tooth snackers, innovation in “Chocolate” was awarded to M&M’s Crispy Chocolate Candies, and SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy Ropes topped the list for “Sugar Confections.”
2. Household Innovations
Today, everything happens in one click and now that applies to cleaning your toilet. The new Lysol Click Gel applicator has been recognized for its innovation in the “Shower and Bath” category, as it allows you to press it against the inside of the bowl and with every flush it cleans the toilet for you for up to a week.
Laundry can get done faster when using a more advanced and powerful detergent such as the “Liquid Laundry” category winner, Tide HE Turbo Clean Liquid Detergent. This new formula offers six times the cleaning power in quick cycle versus the next-leading detergent in normal cycle.
3. Personal Care
New innovations are improving personal care, and surveys show that consumers are seeking multitasking products, such as Soft Lips Cube, which won Product of the Year’s “Lip Care” category. Its formulation of shea butter with vitamins A, C, and E and SPF 15, features a sleek product design melding function and style in a glass-like cube.
Schwarzkopf essence Ultime Omega Repair 11-IN-1 Leave In is this year’s “Hair Care” winner, which intensively repairs damaged hair. In the “Feminine Care” category, Playtex Sport Collection is a must-have for athletic women, as the product twists and turns with their bodies to offer more protection.
4. Pet Favorites
If your pet’s health is important to you, you’re hardly alone. More pet owners are looking for higher grade, healthful food for furry friends. For optimal pet health, consider the winner of the “Pet Treats” category Milk-Bone Good Morning Daily Vitamin Treats, a treat that doubles as a daily vitamin, promoting well-being and longevity.
For another nutrient-filled flavor boost in doggy diets, consider Beyond Purées, the “Pet Food” winner, an innovative squeezable addition to dry food that supports health and is made of all natural ingredients.
5. Medicine Cabinet Essentials
Cut clutter by restocking your medicine cabinet with new items that can do more for you. Go beyond a regular sleep aid with “Vitamins & Supplements” winner Emergen-Zzzz, as it promotes sleep with melatonin, while fortifying sleepers with vitamin C and key antioxidants. Likewise, get more allergen protection bang for your buck with FLONASE Allergy Relief, which won the Product of the Year “OTC” category for helping to block six allergic substances as opposed to one. “Eye Care” winner, CLEAR CARE PLUS, gives contact lenses a deeper clean without irritating preservatives and harsh chemicals.
Make shopping simpler. Take a cue from other consumers to help find innovative items on store shelves that can improve your household routines.
