Product, Service & Design Innovation
From Curator to Catalyst:
Target Raises the Bar for Inclusion in Made to Matter Collection

Made to Matter — Handpicked by Target just got an upgrade: Since its inception in 2014, Target has built strong partnerships with purpose-driven brands in the wellness space to make natural, organic and sustainable products more accessible. The retail giant just announced that it has raised its standards for inclusion in the collection this year.

Each brand must now meet one or more new criteria:

• Reduced waste and packaging, which meets the rising consumer demand for eco-friendly products that limit waste. Right now, 50 percent of U.S. waste is comprised of product packaging.
• Closed-loop systems, which utilize a production system where the excess of one process or product is used to make another product. U.S. waste has tripled since 1960 and the average U.S. resident produces 1600 pounds of waste but only recycles or composts 35 percent of it.
• **Clean label products **that are made without additives and harsh chemicals.
• Dietary and allergen restrictions that accommodate the growing commonality of specialized diets and food allergies. According to a study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies among children increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011.
• Reduced sugar — plain and simple! In 1822, the average American consumed 45 grams of sugar — the amount found in one of today’s 12-oz. sodas — every five days. Today, the average American consumes that much every seven hours.

Target says it developed this specific set of standards to guarantee that all products within the Made to Matter collection are healthy for its guests and easy on the environment.

“Guests love the Made to Matter collection because it offers them a way to easily discover new products that are better for them, their families and the world around them,” said Jeff Jones, CMO. “In our third year, we wanted to make an even more meaningful impact, so we moved from curator to catalyst and challenged our partners to innovate with five important criteria in mind. The refined approach ensures that our guests can continue to count on Made to Matter to offer a wide variety of new products that truly make a difference.”

So what does it look like when 20 brands rise to the occasion? The Made to Matter 2016 assortment boasts 100 new and innovative products that span food, baby, beauty and household supplies.

Here are a few highlights of the new products:

• Babyganics Natural Wool Dryer Balls: These new Natural Wool Dryer Balls are sustainably made, baby-safe and chemical-free, save energy and last for up to 1,000 loads of laundry, which is equivalent to 25 million dryer sheets. The wool itself is 100 percent biodegradable and compostable (which reduces waste) and is sourced locally from sheep and then hand-crafted into each dryer ball by a group of local artisans.
• Yes To Facial Wipes: Yes To developed the first-ever natural facial cleansing wipe that integrates virgin plastic with Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material into the packaging to reduce both energy and waste. We estimate that this facial wipe update will reduce waste in packaging by more than three tons in one year.
• Ripple Dairy Alternative Milk: Ripple’s brand new dairy-alternative milk is a protein-packed, 100 percent plant-based and vegan milk made from split pea, a legume high in protein and fiber, low in sugar and full of nutrients. This product is nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free.

If the success of Target’s Made to Matter 2015 collection was any indication — the retailer hit its goal of $1 billion in sales, and the brands included in the 2015 collection experienced, on average, approximately a 30 percent sales growth at Target, which is 1.5 times faster than anywhere else – inclusion in this year’s more streamlined collection stands to pay off big for companies and products rising to the Target’s new, higher standards.