Chain Drug Review back issues from March 1998:
CVS rethinks refill reminder plan.(CVS Corp. terminates database program for sending consumers prescription drug refill reminders due to privacy concerns)
Mar 02, 1998 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Responding to concerns about patient confidentiality, CVS Corp. has stopped using a database company to mail out refill reminders and promote new medications. "At CVS, we safeguard your privacy as well as your health," said a full-page ad last month in The ...
Consolidation again recasts the industry.(CVS Corp. acquires Arbor Drugs Inc.)
Mar 02, 1998; ... NEW YORK -- The upper echelon of chain drug retailing has been recast yet again by consolidation. The acquisition of Arbor Drugs by CVS Corp. has created a new No. 1 in store count and ended Walgreen Co.'s seeming impregnability as the trade class' leader in sales. ...
Coalition supports pay for Rx care. (Community Retail Pharmacy Coalition supports Medicare payment to pharmacists under balanced budget act diabestes provision)
Mar 02, 1998; ... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Community Retail Pharmacy Coalition, which is comprised of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), has taken the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) to task over a recent statement attributed to ...
Chains battle 'the millenium bug.'(chain drug stores coping with Year 2000 Transition Problem for computers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Forget eroding pharmacy margins and the threat of shrinkage. With the arrival of the year 2000 less than two years away, drug chains and thousands of other businesses are facing a potential disaster from what is being called "the millennium bug." The problem could ...
Duane Reade a winning with initial public offering.(Duane Reade Drug Store Co.'s initial public offering of stock)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK--Wall Street gave a vote of confidence to Duane Reade last month as investors gobbled up more than 7 million, of the drug chain's shares during the first day of an initial public offering, leading to a $5.50-a-share increase one day later. With Duane Reade executives ...
Yassin guides Farmacias El Amal.(Farmacias El Amal owner Saleh Yassin)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... RIO PIEDRAS, Puerto Rico -- In an era of rapid consolidation in the chain drug industry, Saleh Yassin has demonstrated that there is still room for an entrepreneur to build a successful regional chain. Yassin, who opened his first Farmacias El Amal store on the island a ...
Three execs join Pharma Plus as team. (Pharma Plus Drugmarts appoints Gary Goyeau vice president-marketing)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... MISSISSAUGA, Ontario -- Norm Puhl, president and general manager of Pharma Plus Drugmarts, has appointed three former colleagues at Big V and, more recently, at Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) to senior management positions. First to be recruited, in January, was Gary Goyeau, who ...
Drug Emporium promotes Ziemke.(Drug Emporium Inc. appoints Thomas Ziemke senior vice president-marketing and purchasing)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... POWELL, Ohio -- Drug Emporium has appointed Thomas (Tim) Ziemke senior vice president, with responsibility for marketing and purchasing. "We are pleased to advance Ziemke to this position," says chairman and chief executive officer David Kriegel, "and we are confident that his ...
Horizon's rapid expansion continuums.(Horizon Pharmacies acquires two pharmacies in Texas; appoints John Stogner chief financial officer)
Mar 02, 1998 ... PRINCETON, Texas -- Horizon Pharmacies has agreed to acquire its 27th and 28th outlets, in Missouri and Texas, respectively. The company has also named John Stogner chief financial officer. The latest purchases follow the acquisition of another store in Texas and one in ...
Lobdell gets Synder's post.(Synder Drug Stores appoints Douglas Lobdell director-managed care)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... MINNETONKA, Minn.--Snyder's Drug Stores has named Douglas Lobdell director of managed care. Lobdell had been working part-time as a pharmacist for the retailer, completing his Master of Social and Administrative Pharmacy degree at the University of Minnesota. ...
Operating results at CVS set records.(CVS Corp. reports 4th qtr and FY 1997 financial results)
Mar 02, 1998 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- As it prepared to follow last year's blockbuster merger with Revco D.S. with the acquisition of Arbor Drugs, CVS Corp. reported record sales and earnings from continuing operations before various onetime items for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31. ...
SDM profits advance 21% in '97.(Shoppers Drug Mart Ltd.)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... WILLOWDALE, Ontario -- With its three distribution centers running for the full year--though still not at capacity -- Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) pumped out a 135% increase in revenues and a 21.4% rise in operating profits for 1997. But the wide gap between revenue and profit ...
Coutu net increases 12% in quarter. (Jean Coutu Group Inc.'s 1st qtr, 1998 financial report)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... LONGUEUIL, Quebec--Spurred by double-digit profit growth in both its Canadian and U.S. operations, Jean Coutu Group posted a 12.2% bottom-line increase during the second quarter of fiscal 1998. Net income totaled $15.6 million (all amounts are in Canadian currency) over the ...
Net earnings at McKesson ahead 67% in third quarter.(McKesson Corp.'s third quarter, 1998 financial report)
Mar 02, 1998 ... SAN FRANCISCO--Driven by an 80% advance in operating profits from its primary business segment, McKesson Corp. saw income jump by two-thirds before extraordinary items in fiscal 1998's third quarter. Net earnings at the drug wholesaler -- which is still awaiting government ...
Safeway income rises 35% in fiscal year.(Safeway Inc.'s FY 1997 financial report)
Mar 02, 1998 ... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- With Voris Cos. in the fold for the last three quarters of the year, Safeway Inc. racked up a 30.1% increase in sales and a 34.9% jump in income before a one-time item during the 53 weeks ended January 3. Earnings for 1997 at the supermarket and food/drug ...
America's small drug chains are enjoying a revival.(My Turn)(Column)
Mar 02, 1998; ... Lost in the sea of consolidation that has engulfed chain drug retailing in this decade is the fact that America's local and regional drug chains are enjoying a degree of success undreamed of a few years ago. Throughout the land, small drug chains have been reborn, turning in sales and ...
Chain Drug Review/National Wholesale Druggists' Association(Panel Discussion)
Mar 02, 1998 ... One often overlooked problem affecting all members of the pharmaceutical supply chain is returned goods and recalls. The task of disposing of products that may pose a threat to consumers' health, whose shelf life has expired or that are otherwise unsalable, is complex and expensive, with ...
Widespread confusion plagues category.(Homeopathic Pharmacy)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Homeopathy is a category that can be characterized as one of confusion -- even though many involved in the selling, merchandising and purchasing of such products believe they understand it with clarity. "The confusion is extreme," concedes Jay Borneman, president ...
Homeopathic items enter mainstream. (Homeopathic Pharmacy)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK--As is the case with herbal products, homeopathic remedies are no longer the exclusive domain of health food stores and specialty outlets. Customers with backaches, insomnia, depression and other ailments are not only looking at the traditional over-the-counter sector ...
Consumer trends fuel growth of homeopathy.(Homeopathic Pharmacy)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- NaturaLife Corp. is among the homeopathic product manufacturers currently capitalizing on two trends that benefit the industry as well as the chain drug business: the growing popularity of natural remedies and the expansion of the sports medicine category. Much of ...
How homeopathy works.(Homeopathic Pharmacy)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Many involved in health care say that knowing more about homeopathy can help retail pharmacy operators offset the lower margins brought about by the policies of managed care programs. "Like cures like" may be an oversimplification of how homeopathic medications ...
CD-ROM assesses homeopathy. (Razor's Edge Technologies offers The Interactive Health Food Store)(Homeopathic Pharmacy)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... AZUSA, Calif. -- Retail pharmacists looking for an unbiased source of information on homeopathic remedies, herbal supplements and other nontraditional health care products can turn to The Interactive Health Food Store, a CD-ROM offered by Razor's Edge Technologies. A spokesman ...
Creating a destination category.(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK--Knowing that only the strong survive in today's hypercompetitive beauty business, chain drug retailers are striving to strengthen their cosmetics departments and make them destination centers. "Trade class consciousness" among consumers is at an all-time low ....
Fashion, whimsy characterize cosmetics.(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK--Nail care, cosmetics for the eyes, bright colors and the teenage market are all hot in 1998, as reflected by the latest product launches and color collections from both leading and niche suppliers. "While lip and nail have dominated lately, this is going to be a big ...
Moves by suppliers shake things up. (Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- An unusual number of acquisitions, spin-offs and executive changes have taken place in the cosmetics industry during the past year. Estee Lauder Co., which controls almost 45% of the department store beauty business, moved into the mass market with the purchase of ...
'Racy eyes become showcase.'(mascara and other eye cosmetics market experiencing growth)(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While the nail care segment of the cosmetics category has received the lion's share of attention lately with its dazzling growth rate, the eye segment has quietly become a force to be reckoned with, slipping into a strong second spot in terms of sales gains. ...
Face makeup is still top segment. (Chain drugstores are lookiong to capitalize on trffic-bulding promotions)(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While face makeup isn't considered a hot growth segment in the cosmetics category, it remains tops in dollar sales, posting $839.6 million in mass market volume in 1997. Although sales were flat in drug stores and overall volume rose a modest 3.7%, according to ...
P&G expands rollout of Oil of Olay cosmetics. (Procter and Gamble Co.)(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- After launching the Oil of Clay Colour Collection in the United Kingdom in October 1997, Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) has extended distribution to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "We began shipments to the German-speaking countries in February," says a ...
New wave of advanced lip items on horizon. ('Gloss is now growing four times faster than lipstick')(Cosmetics)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Pausing to catch their collective breath in 1997 after the hugely popular launch of transfer-resistant lip products, suppliers are poised to unleash a new wave of technologically advanced items. According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), dollar sales in the lip ...
Color explosion is still big news. (Artificial nails and treatments remain a significant part of the business)(Nail Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- After posting a record-setting year in 1997, the nail color segment continues to dazzle, with bright hues and advanced technology driving sales. "Nail color is still the hottest category in beauty care, hands down," says Ken Lane, cosmetics buyer at Texas Drug ...
New Sally Hansen web site from Del offers information on beauty care. (Del Laboratories Inc.'s World Wide Web site)(Nail Care)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Del Laboratories Inc. has launched a web site devoted to its Sally Hansen brand. "The Sally Hansen web site represents a major commitment on our part to reach a mainstream audience on the web," says executive vice president of marketing Bill McMenemy. ...
Suppliers building on established brands.(Fragrances)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Buoyed by reports of a strong holiday season, fragrance makers are again planning new product introductions this year. But unlike their launches in the past, the 1998 crop of new products mostly build on established brands, taking these franchises in new directions ...
Reaching young consumers.(Fragrances)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Teenagers and 20-somethings have recently emerged as an important market for chain drug stores in the recast fragrance category. As body sprays and mists have gained in popularity over eau de toilettes and cologne sprays, they have drawn young consumers attracted ...
More men are experimenting with fragrance.(Fragrances)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While the fragrance category has been having its difficulties lately, one of the bright spots has been the performance of men's products. According to Packaged Facts, Inc., a market research firm, men's fragrance and skin care will grow faster than the men's ...
Aromatherapy begins to take off.(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- The aromatherapy segment of the bath category has taken off with the launch of The Healing Garden by Coty Inc., the success of which has spawned intense competition from a host of other suppliers. The development is a welcome one for chain drug stores, because ...
Bath care comes into its own.(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Spurred by the success of specialty stores, chain drug retailers continue to expand their bath and body departments, and suppliers are obliging them with a proliferation of new mass market products. "Drug chains are merchandising the bath category much more ...
Tracking teens: a booming market. (More chains are launching efforts to attract teens)(drug store marketing of skin care products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... The teen market is hot, and it continues to revolve around beauty. As a group, teenage girls spend more of their total income -- and that income is impressive -- on cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, nail care, hair care, and bath care than any other demographic group in the nation. ...
'It's about fun, cool and hip.'(drug store marketing of cosmetics and fragrances to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... Young women between the ages of 12 and 19 have decided that it's okay to be "girlish" again,"but they don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about that. "Culturally, today's teenage girls have a sense of their own importance that we have never seen before," says Don Pettit, ...
A wealth of options in fragrances.(drug store marketing of cosmetics and fragrances to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... When it comes to fragrances, teen favorites ran the gamut from scents created just for them to the latest designer brands (and their lower-priced knockoffs) available in leading department stores. "One strong trend we have seen is the growing popularity of body mists among ...
Teens fuel nail care explosion.(drug store marketing of nail polishes and nail care products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... Teenagers love to shop. While the number of Americans ages 21 to 62 who enjoy doing so fell to 55% last year from 58% four years earlier, according to the Kurt Salmon Associates 1997 Annual Consumer Survey, 88% of girls between 13 and 17 told the pollsters that they just "love to shop." ...
Product innovation shakes things up.(drug store marketing of skin care products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... What is arguably the hottest skin care product in the teenage market did not even exist a year ago--at least not in the United States, just as amazing, it comes from a company better known for catering to the skin care needs of baby boomers. In fact, this was the company's first effort in ...
Experimentation is the norm among teens.(drug store marketing of hair care products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... Experimentation is an important part of the teenage experience, and teens often experiment via new hairstyles. Experimentation does not necessarily mean that teens are dissatisfied. Contrary to popular myths about teens being moody and rebellious, a 1996 survey cited in a new ...
Fun with hair color.(drug store marketing of hair coloring products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... When it comes to such hair care basics as shampoos, conditioners and styling aids, teenagers demand high-quality, good-value products that deliver real benefits. At the same time, as a popular song puts it, "Girls just want to have fun," and such offbeat items as hair mascara fill the ...
A new form of leisure.(drug store marketing of bath and body products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... Manufacturers of bath and body care products often target stressed-out adult women in their marketing efforts, positioning their offerings as providing a private respite from the tensions of everyday life. Despite that approach, teenage girls comprise one of the largest and ...
Aromatherapy adds dimension to category.(drug store marketing of bath and body products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... One of the hottest trends in the teen bath and body market is aromatherapy. While many suppliers have introduced such products recently, retailers credit Coty Inc.'s Healing Garden with launching the trend in the mass market. "Bath and body is the most important element of the ...
Embracing old and new.(drug store marketing of bath and body products to teenagers)
Mar 02, 1998 ... Teens have shown a willingness to embrace both the old and the new when it comes to the bath and body category. Brands that helped define the segment and have contributed much to its growth -- Del Laboratories Inc.'s Naturistics, Laloren Inc.'s Sarah Michaels, Yardley of ...
Bath products are now hot gift items.(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Chain drug store shoppers pursuing elegant gifts are increasingly turning away from fragrances and toward bath and body products. That change in the gift market is occurring not just at Christmas and other holidays, but year round, according to retailers and ...
Shower gels provide host of new benefits.(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Growth in the bath and shower category continues to prompt new product activity in the shower gel segment, as suppliers incorporate such elements as aromatherapy and moisturizing benefits into their offerings. While sales growth of shower gels, or body washes, ...
Manufacturers aim to address specific ailments. (all-natural health and beauty aids)(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While many suppliers are introducing bath and body lines promising the all-encompassing benefits of aromatherapy, other manufacturers are launching bath products targeting specific ailments. All-natural beauty aids company Kiss My Face Corp., for example, has ...
Personal soap remains potent force. (Personal soap is an important traffic generator and volume builder for chains)(Bath and Shower)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While bath and body gels continue to grow in popularity, personal soap is holding its own, remaining a vital part of the skin care category. Accounting for slightly more than $1.36 billion in annual mass market sales, bar soap has the potential to be an important ...
Traditional items suffer downturn. (bubble bath and traditional fragrances sales decline)(Bath and Shower)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- The new approach to bathing is reflected by a waning of sales of bubble bath and traditional bath fragrances. With consumers rapidly turning to comprehensive bath and body lines, mass market sales of conventional bath products slipped 6.4% last year, according to ...
Suppliers say nuances make a difference.(Skin Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Although several suppliers have launched skin care products formulated with vitamin C and alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), not every vendor is using the same form of the vitamin, a point stressed by some of the manufacturers. Among the more unusual of the AHA-vitamin ...
Glitz, technology, therapy drive skin care.(Skin Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- As a category that is perhaps evolving faster than any other in the mass market, skin care offers retailers constant potential for new sales. Encompassing the glitz and glamour of cosmetics and the technological and therapeutic benefits of over-the-counter ...
AHA-based items win place in most lines. (alpha-hydroxy acid-based skin care products)(Skin Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Starting in the early 1990s, products formulated with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) were pioneered by such suppliers as Neoteric Cosmetics Inc. with its Alpha Hydrox line and Cosmair Inc. with its L'Oreal Plenitude Excell-[A.sup.3], taking the market in a new direction. Thanks to ...
Staying on the cutting edge.(Skin Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- There's no denying that the pace of technological innovation has been one of the greatest contributors to moving the skin care category forward in recent years. And perhaps no segments of the market have benefited more from such advances than facial creams and hand and body ...
Demand for therapeutic items up.(Skin Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- With the number of skin care products introduced every year continuing to grow by leaps and bounds, the therapeutic segment has emerged as an area of intense activity. Recent product launches and stepped-up marketing campaigns have thrust items that help treat skin ...
Dermal patches become factor. (Doak Dermatologics and Dermatological Sciences introduce new dermal patch-based vitamin delivery products)(Skin Care)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- While the incorporation of vitamins into skin care products is becoming more widespread. not all suppliers are delivering them via traditional skin creams. Among the more unusual product introductions in the category of late are two companies' dermal patches which ...
Touting 'common skin sense.'(Skin Care)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... GREENWICH, Conn. -- In an effort to help consumers better understand the needs of their skin, the Vaselline Research arm of Unilever HPC is sponsoring Skin Awareness Month for the seventh consecutive year. The supplier's annual consumer education program, which takes place ...
Getting the message out.(sunblock, suntan lotions and oils)(Sun Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- As summer approaches, sun care suppliers are gearing up for their peak selling season and preparing to roll out new products and line extensions. Yet, the vendors note, the pace of innovation is not as rapid this year as it has been in the past. Instead of focusing ...
Parents recognize need to protect children.(from sunburn with sunblock, suntan lotions and oils)(Sun Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- With mounting medical research showing that protecting children from the sun is crucial, suppliers are introducing products to meet that need. And, they point out, products for children must be especially effective at blocking out harmful rays. "When ...
A primer on sun care for store associates.(marketing sunblock, suntan lotions and oils)(Sun Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- With the summer rapidly approaching, consumers will soon be scouring the shelves of America's chain drug stores looking for the sun care products that best fit their needs. Sales clerks are likely to be inundated with questions about everything from sun protection factors ...
Children's hair care evolves.(shampoo)(Hair Care)(Brief Article)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- Efforts to develop new opportunities in hair care have prompted a number of suppliers to focus more attention on children. One notable initiative has come from Cosmair Inc.'s L'Oreal subsidiary, which has developed an entire product line aimed at preteens. ...
Quest for more profitability brings changes to hair care.(shampoo)(Hair Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK -- The struggle to build profitability in the hair care category has prompted a number of changes in the way such products are marketed by suppliers and merchandised by retailers. A number of established lines are being restaged with value-added formulations, while ...
Drug chains make most of hair color.(hair dyes and colorings)(Hair Care)
Mar 02, 1998 ... NEW YORK--The segment of the hair care category in which chain drug stores continue to outperform other classes of trade by a wide margin is also the most profitable part of the business -- hair coloring. Drug stores are responsible for more than 44% of the $1 billion spent ...
Hair care a battleground for beauty suppliers.(Hair Care)
Mar 02, 1998; ... NEW YORK -- Major beauty marketers are squaring off in the hair care category, with some placing extra emphasis on a salon heritage and others extending their mass retail presence. Procter -- Gamble Co. (P&G) is targeting both its Pantene and Vidal Sassoon brands, introducing ...