Chain Drug Review back issues from June 2007:
Duane Reade ups the ante with clinics.(News)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Duane Reade Inc. has taken the concept of the in-store clinic to a new level by offering customers the ability to see doctors on-site on a walk-in basis. The drug store operator has partnered with Consumer Health ServicesInc. (CHS) to open three initial DR ...
Walgreens envisions new health care model.(News)(Take Care Health Systems)
Jun 04, 2007 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has purchased the in-store clinic operator Take Care Health Systems. Walgreens' executives say the clinics and the drug chain's nearly 5,700 pharmacies across the country will be at the heart of the rollout of a variety of patient-focused health ...
Rx wins a round on Tricare.(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores sees an interim victory--and the need for continued vigilance--regarding the Tricare military health system. Last month the House of Representatives passed what NACDS hails as a "pro-soldier, pro-savings" approach to ...
Senate moves to strengthen FDA.(News)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration would gain new powers to oversee drug safety and for the first time could fine manufacturers for false or misleading advertising, under legislation approved overwhelmingly by the Senate. The provisions are part of a major bill to ...
CVS/Caremark evolution begins.(News)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS/ Caremark Corp. will review a nonbinding vote by shareholders to permanently separate the positions of chairman and chief executive officer. Mac Crawford currently chairs the company while Tom Ryan serves as CEO, but the separation is not required by the ...
NACDS tabs VP of state government affairs.(News)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores appoints Gary Wirth)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Gary Wirth, a 30-year veteran of the pharmacy industry, has been named vice president of state government affairs for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. "We were looking for an exceptional candidate who is a pharmacist, has a firm understanding of ...
Kerr, BioSignia offer personalized health screenings.(News)(Kerr Drug )(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... RALEIGH, N.C. -- Kerr Drug is introducing chronic disease prediction technology at Kerr Health Care Centers in North Carolina. The chain will offer BioSignia's health risk-assessment engine--a testing tool called Know Your Number which is designed to improve prevention and ...
How to stop illegal drug sales.(News)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- Congressional efforts to eliminate "rogue" Internet prescription suppliers should not interfere with legitimate pharmacy web sites, says the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. In comments filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee, NACDS says "the most ...
Sammons discusses role of pharmacists.(News)(Mary Sammons )(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ALBANY, N.Y. -- Rite Aid Corp. president and chief executive officer Mary Sammons last month challenged the members of the graduating class of Albany College of Pharmacy to make a difference in the lives of their patients and in the communities in which they work and live. "You ...
Cardinal picks Storrer to head Rx distribution.(News)(Scott Storrer appointed at Cardinal Health Inc.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... DUBLIN, Ohio -- Scott Storrer has been selected group president for the health care supply chain services/pharmaceutical sector of Cardinal Health Inc. The 40-year-old Storrer is responsible for the operations of the Medicine Shoppe franchise, pharmaceutical distribution, specialty ...
For SDM the outlook is bullish.(News)(Shoppers Drug Mart Ltd.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... TORONTO -- Jurgen Schreiber, the recently appointed president and chief executive officer of Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM), was in an upbeat mood when he addressed his first annual meeting of Canada's largest drug chain here last month. Schreiber's high spirits were partly ...
Chain isn't resting on its laurels.(News)
Jun 04, 2007 ... TORONTO -- At its annual shareholders meeting here last month Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) president and chief executive officer Jurgen Schreiber said he was pleased with the direction the chain was headed. Among the programs he said he was most satisfied with is the rollout of the ...
USA Drug, MedBasics team up.(News)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- USA Drug has become the latest chain to put walk-in clinics in its stores, signing a deal last month with MedBasics to open five clinics in USA outlets by the end of the year. "This expanded service will further advance our patient-centric focus and enhance ...
House members weigh in on cuts in Medicaid.(News)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- Ten bipartisan members of the House of Representatives have pledged to support the National Community Pharmacists Association's (NCPA's) efforts to revamp the the Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement, which does not cover community pharmacy acquisition costs for generic drugs ...
HHS report highlights benefits of electronic prescribing.(News)(Health and Human Services Department)(electronic prescribing)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- The creation of electronic prescribing standards will dramatically reduce medication errors and cut health care costs, a recent study by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) says. "Electronic prescribing improves efficiencies while helping to eliminate ...
Bid to let government negotiate Rx prices fails.(News)(medicare)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- In its recent budget negotiations the Republican minority in the Senate mustered enough votes to ensure that legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate Medicare drug prices did not reach the floor. While 55 senators voted to start debate on the ...
Congress agrees on budget plan.(News)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- A budget plan that Democrats say will fund national priorities, result in a surplus by 2012 and avoid tax increases has been agreed to by Senate and House negotiators. The $2.9 trillion proposal for fiscal year 2008 also incorporates improvements in veterans' ...
CVS/Caremark, Rite Aid sign deals with Kodak.(News)(Eastman Kodak Co.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Eastman Kodak Co. has teamed with Rite Aid Corp. and CVS/Caremark Corp. to let users of its Kodak Gallery service ship their online digital print orders to almost any of the drug chains' stores. "Our customers are interested in choosing when and where they ...
Technology fosters accuracy in dispensing process.(News)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Pharmacy technology can take the health care system a long way toward the goal of eliminating medication errors, according to retailers and suppliers. Pharmacies are the last line of defense for patients getting prescriptions, says Scott MacKenzie, president of ...
More clinics at MSI units open doors.(News)(Medicine Shoppe International Inc.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ST. LOUIS -- Medicine Shoppe International Inc. has expanded its Comer Care Clinic offering to five states. The pharmacy franchisor's most recent clinic offering was in Williamsport, Pa. Besides Pennsylvania, MSI, which includes the Medicine Shoppe and Medicap pharmacy outlets, ...
Acquisition catapults Mylan into No. 3 spot in generics.(Supplier News)(Mylan Laboratories Inc.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... PITTSBURGH -- Mylan Laboratories Inc. has agreed to acquire Merck KGaA of Germany's generics business for $6.7 billion in cash. The deal will make Mylan the No. 3 generic drug manufacturer, behind Teva Pharmaceuticals and Novartis. The transaction will create a ...
Lafley announces changes at top of P&G.(Supplier News)(A.G. Lafley)(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) has overhauled its business structure, dividing it into three new global units and breaking up the Gillette Co. business it acquired in 2005. The company's three global business units will be beauty care, global health and well-being, and ...
B&L hedges bets while accepting takeover bid.(Supplier News)(Bausch & Lomb Inc.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Bausch & Lomb (B&L) last month accepted a $4.5 billion takeover offer from a group of private investors. But the company has reserved the right to call off the deal if it gets a better offer before the middle of next month. "After extensive ...
Ellen DeGeneres pitches for American Greetings.(Supplier News)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... CLEVELAND -- American Greetings Corp. and television star Ellen DeGeneres have teamed up to create a line of greeting cards based on the comedienne and talk show host's humor. Called the ellen collection, the 32-line card collection will feature pictures of the comedienne along ...
CVS/Caremark hits the ground running.(Business)(Financial report)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Both earnings and revenues took a double-digit jump at the newly named CVS/Caremark Corp. in the first quarter of 2007, as results included 10 days of operations of the nation's No. 2 pharmacy benefits manager, Caremark Rx Inc., which merged with CVS on March 22. ...
Special items help propel surge in Coutu net.(Business)(Jean Coutu Group Inc.)(Financial report)
Jun 04, 2007 ... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- An extra week of sales and several unusual items associated with the forthcoming sale of its United States operations to Rite Aid Corp. helped boost net income by triple digits at the Jean Coutu Group during both the third quarter and the first 40 weeks of fiscal 2007 ....
Results confirm Supervalu's status as a retail power.(Business)(Financial report)
Jun 04, 2007 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Closing the books on a watershed year marked by its acquisition of more than 1,100 food/drug combination stores and supermarkets from Albertsons Inc., Supervalu Inc. saw sales and earnings skyrocket during the 12- and 52- week periods ended February 24. The June 2, 2006, ...
Drugstore.com keeps improving.(Business)(Financial report)
Jun 04, 2007 ... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- On the strength of improved sales, margins and expense ratios, drugstore.com inc. trimmed its operating and bottom-line losses during the first quarter of 2007 while again posting positive EBITDA. The Internet retailer pared its net loss by 28.6% to $3.78 ...
It's Marketplace time--and the magic's back.(My Turn)(Conference news)(Editorial)
Jun 04, 2007; ... Apparently overnight, the NACDS Marketplace Conference has regained some of its past luster while reemerging as one of a handful of can't-miss events that punctuate and highlight mass retailing's annual meeting agenda. This year's Marketplace, scheduled to unfold in Boston June ...
Health Mart becomes a force in pharmacy.(My Turn)(Health Mart Systems Inc.)(marketing campaign )
Jun 04, 2007; ... The sudden emergence of Health Mart Systems as one of the leading pharmacy chains in the United States is a reassuring development for an industry characterized by fierce internal competition and serious external threats to its economic well-being. In recent months the ...
What makes a niche product.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007; ... NEW YORK -- If anything about niche products can accurately be said to be scientific, this is the first scientific attempt anywhere to define and categorize niche products in the health and beauty care categories. Niche products are not new; chain drug retailers have been ...
Margins, uniqueness are name of the game.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)(Emerson Group.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- There has never been more need for niche brands, although they do require focus and support to tap their full potential, says Scott Emerson, founder and principal of the Emerson Group. Emerson, a former executive with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Helene Curtis Inc., has built a ...
What it takes for niche products to overcome the odds.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007; ... According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), 2006 was one of the most active years in recent history for CPG product introductions, with over 1,700 new brands having been introduced into the food, drug and discount channels (excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.). But according to ...
Get the right mix, then make it work.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007; ... Niche products, sometimes referred to as specialty items, might best be described as products that occupy subsegments within more traditional categories and that, generally speaking, are defined by product positioning, consumer need and retailer attention levels. Successful ...
If retailers have the product, the customers will come.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... LOS ANGELES -- Dr. Harold Katz LLC's oral care products fill a variety of niches. The products are premixed, all-natural and sugar-, saccharin- and alcohol-free. All the items, which are formulated to fight bad breath, are safe for the general population, including people with diabetes. ...
Disease/condition management.(Buyers guide)
Jun 04, 2007 ... <Pre> DISEASE/CONDITION MANAGEMENT PRIMARY USAGE/ NO. OF PRODUCT MANUFACTURER APPLICATION SKUs Acu-Life Audio-KitHealth EnterprisesEar-hearing aids 1 Hearing Aid Cleaner Acu-Life Dri-Eze ...
Niches are found in all categories.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)(Ivy-Dry Inc.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... FAIRFIELD, N.J. -- For more than 50 years Ivy-Dry Inc. has provided highly effective treatments for poison ivy, oak and sumac and for insect bites. "The Ivy-Dry line is considered a niche market, since it is in the poison ivy category," says Harry Reicherz, the company's vice ...
Satisfied consumers can be relied on to get the word out.
Jun 04, 2007 ... PRINCETON, N.J. -- Essentially, niche products must offer something different and deliver on their promised end benefit, says Xenna Corp. chief executive officer Carol Buck. Xenna SKUs do both, she adds. Niche brands must rely to a great extent on word-of-mouth advertising by ...
Innovation, intros are critical to health of niche brands.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Started by a breast-feeding mother more than two decades ago, Lansinoh Laboratories Inc. began with one product for a specific purpose. Lansinoh for Breastfeeding Mothers was created to soothe and heal sore nipples resulting from breast feeding. By ...
A trend toward natural, organic gives rise to a niche.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... DURHAM, N.C. -- Burt's Bees Inc. offers a brand that is aimed at the growing number of people devoted to natural wellness and environmental sustainability. "We earn their loyalty through our authenticity and by never wavering on our product and packaging standards," says Burt's ...
Positioning by indication grows choice.
Jun 04, 2007 ... LOS ANGELES -- Hyland's Inc. offers homeopathic alternatives that are commonly merchandised within the analgesics, baby, cough/cold, eye/ ear and first aid sets. "Our medicines are classified as O-T-Cs by the FDA and offer consumers natural, safe and side effect-free options to ...
It's as simple as providing relief to a common problem.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... CRANSTON, R.I. -- The true niche product offers chain drug stores the chance to stand out from the crowd, according to Art Pirrone, vice president of sales and marketing for Modular Thermal Technologies Inc. The company's Cryo-Max cold pack, he says, is such a product because of ...
In the stores it's all up to the retailer.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... CRANFORD, N.J. -- Although niche brands are not its primary focus in the United States, Actavis continually scans the market for unique opportunities that could present significant value for its business. Iceland-based Actavis is one of the world's leading players in the ...
Niche products address unmet market opportunities.(Origin BioMed Inc.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- Origin BioMed Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company that is currently expanding the markets for exclusive over-the-counter drugs for pain relief, skin care and lip care. Origin identifies unmet market opportunities in the O-T-C space, in-licenses ...
A targeted approach creates a powerhouse.
Jun 04, 2007 ... UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Del Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a leader in the development of niche products in the consumer health care market. "Our focus is on the development and marketing of products for specific target segments that provide unique benefits not available elsewhere," says ...
Mass retail needs niche items more than before.
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- While ProFoot Inc. has grown to become the No. 2 brand in the retail foot care category, it remains a "niche" company in the sense that it bangs to market unique items that begin as niche products. Synovium is an example of such a product, notes vice president Dan ...
If a need is big enough, a small niche can go mass.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)(Atlantis Enterprises Inc.)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Atlantis Enterprises Inc., the company behind TweezLight illuminated tweezers, has a simple philosophy: create a unique, patented product whose features benefit a broad range of consumers, and then let those consumers know about it. Atlantis believes ...
Performance trumps price in minds of many shoppers.
Jun 04, 2007 ... AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Continental Consumer Products' Salon Grafix began as a niche brand in the hair spray category. "Because it was premium-priced, there was initial difficulty in getting distribution," recalls John Petchul, the company's president. "However," he ...
'Niche brands are a way for chains to be a source for all customer needs'.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... PITTSBURGH -- GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK) offers a wide range of brands that fills select needs for consumers, including Breathe Right for the 50 million American households affected by snoring. "Our goal is to find the consumer that is using our brands and speak ...
Packaging is mission-critical.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Health Enterprises Inc. is focused on developing and launching innovative product-based solutions for unmet consumer needs. It is this focus on the consumer, not market size, that separates Health Enterprises from other companies, according to senior director of ...
Imagination has no limits in product conception.(NICHE PRODUCTS REPORT)(Beauty Bureau Inc. )
Jun 04, 2007 ... DALLAS -- Beauty Bureau Inc. was one of the first companies to bring reed diffusers to the United States. Reed diffusers consist of long reeds that are placed inside a bottle filled with essential oils, which are drawn up through the porous reeds where they diffuse into the air ....
A niche brand can remain on the cutting edge.
Jun 04, 2007 ... MADISON, Wis. -- Niche brands must work harder than mass-appeal brands to capture the attention of the average consumer. "Typically, we are in less-prominent retail positions and therefore must shout even louder than the mass-appeal brands to be heard," says Dave Gallo, chief ...
Checkstands ideal place to create incremental sales.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)
Jun 04, 2007; ... NEW YORK -- While most might argue that the pharmacy counter is the centerpiece of today's chain drug store, few would disagree that the checkstand is one of the most important areas of any outlet. No other place in the store gets as much traffic as the checkstand--every shopper ...
Drug chains differ about self-checkout.(MERCHANDISING)(self-checkouts in markets)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Although they've become increasingly popular additions to the front ends of selected supermarkets around the country, self-checkouts have been slow to catch on in chain drug stores. CVS Corp., for instance, was one of the first drug chains to try self-checkouts when ...
Technology makes new services possible.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Drug stores' checkstands are constantly evolving, and recently much of that evolution has focused on technologically advanced products and services. Until now some of these products and services--coin collection machines, for instance--have been limited to ...
Impact of magazines on traffic, profit touted.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- While many drug stores merchandise magazines in-line away from the checkstand, research by the publishers of these periodicals shows that a secondary location up front can help drive sales. Magazines are a destination category that helps bring shoppers into stores, ...
Candy has all the right attributes.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Because few products have as much impulse appeal as candy, gum and mints, these confections have become a staple of nearly every drug chain's checkstand merchandise mix. And as retailers expand the number of confections they offer at the register, sales of certain ...
Batteries an essential part of mix.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- With batteries becoming something of a household necessity over the past few years, the category has evolved into one of the checkstand's most profitable product areas. And with the growing number of portable electronic devices in the average home, consumers are ...
Focus on 'power of categories' pays.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)(checkstand)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- Since 2003 the "Front-End Focus" project has been exploring how retailers across the spectrum of mass market trade classes can enhance merchandising and marketing efforts at the checkstand. The multiyear project, which reported its first results in 2003 and has ...
The era of specialization arrives.(CONSUMABLES)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- With drug stores' multiple, convenient locations and expanded operating hours, consumers are increasingly turning to the trade class for their beverage purchases. Drug stores carry an extensive portfolio of brands covering a spectrum of prices, products and packaging ...
Drug chains' focus on beer gets results.(MERCHANDISING)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ST. LOUIS -- Anheuser-Busch Inc.'s sales have been growing this year in the drug class of trade, according to Rick Davis, vice president for the mass merchandise/club/drug channels. "We're seeing trends vary by retailer, but overall performance is improving due to greater ...
Suppliers square off over diet cola.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)(PepsiCo Inc. )(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- PepsiCo Inc. is intensifying its battle with Coca-Cola Co. over which suppllar's primary diet brand provides better taste. Boasting a new blue and silver can design that executives say is "slightly more masculine," 3 million samples of Diet Pepsi are being ...
Campaign keeps milk top of mind.(CHECKSTAND MERCHANDISING)(Milk Processor Education Program)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... NEW YORK -- "American Idol" star Carrie Underwood and New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez share a common goal: They and other entertainment and sports stars hope to see more "white mustaches" on the faces of teenagers. Last summer the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) ...
Caffeine content for Coke labels.(What's New)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Coca-Cola Co. has begun placing caffeine content information on the labels of all products it distributes that include the ingredient. The company previously ...
Cold-activated Coors Light bottle makes debut.(What's New)(Coors Light)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Coors Brewing Co. has created a cold-activated bottle for its Coors Light brand. Mountain images on the label turn from white to blue when the beer reaches the ...