Content about In this Issue

BOSTON — With an eye toward achieving better alignment between their companies and the nation’s leading retailers, executives from more than 20 noncompeting vendor companies gathered in June in Boston — after several days of selling at NACDS Marketplace — for the most recent meeting of the Mack Elevation Forum.


The June meeting featured an exclusive presentation on how to break through at Sam’s Club by Jason Reiser, VP family health and wellness for the fast-growing warehouse club retailer.



It’s like stepping into a time machine and jumping ahead a decade or more.
 Housed in a historic 1930s property that once was the tallest building in the world, Duane Reade’s newest flagship store at 40 Wall St. in New York — the first co-branded Duane Reade/Walgreens store — offers a glimpse of how retailers will use technology and develop new in-store services to create a much more interactive shopping experience.


A phrase like “silent killer” sounds creepy enough on its own, but it’s an often-used one for a virus that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infects 1.3% to 1.9% of people in the United States.



With more than half of women in the United States between the ages of 25 and 58 years battling some form of acne and the average age for acne patients on the rise, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, it is no surprise that sales of acne treatments have experienced an uptick at food, drug and mass. The sales trend is likely to continue as manufacturers continue to develop formulas to battle adult acne.


Sales in the digestives aisle going forward look positive, especially as an aging population begins paying closer attention to healthy diets, including the right amount of dietary fiber to keep things “regular” and supplementation with probiotics for overall digestive health. 


Ever see the movie “Pleasantville,” where the kid and his sister get sucked into their TV set and become trapped in a late-1950s sitcom? As the two introduce 1990s sensibilities to inhabitants of the fictitious town, the people and their surroundings slowly transform from black-and-white to color. The film is a metaphor for enlightenment, innovation and discovery.



The sun care segment is in the midst of some significant changes as, years after announcing its intent to improve the labeling of sunscreens, the Food and Drug Administration finally has issued new rules for OTC sunscreen products. For consumers, it should mean less confusion when buying products. For manufacturers, it will mean ensuring that they meet the new labeling and testing requirements.


Consumables have long been a major component of any drug store’s product mix, but where stores historically have limited their offerings to soft drinks, candy and beer, more of them now are selling fresh produce and prepared foods.



NEW YORK — The race is on to capture tomorrow’s click-and-pick shopper — that multichannel consumer who, with a click, wields her phone as an omniscient shopping tool and then either picks her product off the shelf or picks where that product will be waiting for her, be it at a nearby store or in her mailbox. 



Yogurt and yogurt drinks have become a powerhouse category, with Greek-style yogurts boosting category sales. Mintel International Group estimated that category sales reached $4.4 billion across all three channels in 2010, and there is still room for growth.


As Seen on TV products are grabbing more space in chain drug stores. “Consumer interest is higher than it has ever been,” said AJ Khubani, CEO and founder of TeleBrands. “More retailers are recognizing the importance of the category. More are getting into the category, and those already in the category are giving it more shelf space.” Some of TeleBrands’ hottest new products this year have been Chef Basket, Aluma Wallet, RoboStir and One Second Needle.

Consumers may have tightened their belts in the current economy, but they aren’t skimping when it comes to their pets. The American Pet Products Association’s annual review of spending data revealed that overall spending in the pet category grew more than 6% to more than $48 billion in 2010.