Eric Ryan

When Eric Ryan helped start Method Products in 2001, the market for environmentally friendly soaps and cleaning products, he recalled, was a "niche of a niche of a niche." No longer. Target, one of the country's largest retailers, announced on Tuesday that it would expand its inventory of "natural, organic and sustainable" goods to meet growing customer demand. The company said it would introduce more than 120 new products over the next several months, and unveiled a new umbrella category for these items: "Made to Matter — Handpicked by Target."