A Greater Cincinnati startup that makes personal care items targeted toward Gen Z will be expanding access to its line of products thanks to a Golden Ticket.
Woman-founded company Clean Age in Terrace Park was awarded Walmart’s Golden Ticket, the highest award in its startup pitch competition, in 2022. As the winner, Clean Age will be launching its products, which include things like deodorant and toothpaste tabs, in over 1,800 Walmart stores in September, including 86 in Ohio.
“We are thrilled to have won Walmart’s Open Call Golden Ticket. This is a major milestone for our brand, and we are excited to share our products with teens across the country. We believe that everyone deserves to have better-for-you products at an affordable price, and our retail partners make that possible,” Clean Age CEO and founder Rachel Peters said in a press release.
Clean Age’s products beat out over 4,500 entrepreneurs and 13,000 different products to win space on the major retailer’s shelves.
“We’ve met so many amazing small business owners through Open Call over the years, and this year is no exception,” Scott Gutche, senior director of U.S. manufacturing for Walmart, said in the release.
The company first launched in 2022 with a retail-first distribution strategy, selling its products in Kroger-owned Fred Meyer stores. It’s since expanded to Rite Aid, Fresh Thyme, Huckleberry’s, and more than 75 independent stores across the country. Clean Age says its products are gender-inclusive, cruelty-free, vegan and sold in responsibly sourced paper packaging — all things retailers and future generations of shoppers value. It also says its rapid growth can be traced back to it listening to families and retailers.
“We help parents and teens at a highly emotional time in the household. And, we help retailers provide a sustainable, clean product that stands out on the shelf,” said Peters.
Learn more about Clean Age here.
Subscribe to CityBeat newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
This article appears in Aug 23 – Sep 5, 2023.
