HEALTH

Building loyalty in today’s digital market
NEW YORK — The Emerson Group last month hosted its 10th Annual Retail Industry Day in a packed room, with hundreds of merchants eager to discover how to better position their products for tomorrow’s ever-evolving consumer.

They weren’t disappointed.
The Emerson Group names new president
WAYNE, Pa. — The Emerson Group recently named 30-year industry veteran Ed Morgan to the role of president. Morgan will lead Emerson Group Field Sales, as well as the Emerson Walmart team.

The Emerson Group is a forward-thinking consumer products equity organization, which manages CPG brands in excess of $3.8 billion and holds equity positions in small- and medium-sized brands.

Walmart exec encourages the industry to seek the bigger picture

Walmart’s Shawn Townzen told a group of sales and marketing executives that his company’s buying teams are focusing on the ‘bigger picture” as the chain seeks to maintain momentum in an increasingly-complex retail arena.

Speaking in Bentonville, Ark. at a Mack Elevation thought leadership conference, Townzen, who is a VP and DMM, personal care, said that industry executives must align with Walmart’s philosophies and be ready to change on the go as the chain’s blueprint evolves.
FTC wins $40 million judgment against diet aid manufacturers

ATLANTA — A federal district judge here has issued an order finding several defendants in contempt for violating previous court orders related to the sale of weight-loss dietary supplements. The order imposes a more than $40 million judgment against the defendants, part or all of which the Federal Trade Commission may use to provide refunds to consumers who bought the products.
Tylenol, new products impact pain

NEW YORK — Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division has rebounded with the return of several product lines, including products under the powerhouse brand Tylenol, which had seen sales and market share erode in the wake of recalls in 2010.
Ahold Delhaize to track U.S. own brand performance through IRI

CHICAGO — IRI and Ahold Delhaize Licensing on Tuesday announced they have entered into a long-term agreement for IRI to serve as the primary partner and analytics platform of record for the brands of Ahold USA and Delhaize America.
Kroger explores wellness pathways at inaugural natural foods innovation summit

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday hosted its first natural foods innovation summit, in partnership with 84.51°, here with keynote speaker Joy Bauer, the founder of Nourish Snacks and the health and nutrition expert on NBC's "The Today Show."
Antacids drive dollars as PPIs open to store-brand competition

NEW YORK — Last month, the last of the branded proton-pump inhibitors was opened to store-brand competition as Perrigo brought a Nexium 24HR equivalent to market. Speaking with analysts, Perrigo president and CEO John Hendrickson expected private label to grab at least a 25% share of the $300 million in Nexium 24HR sales. “It’s been three years without having a store-brand equivalent to Nexium,” Hendrickson said. “We have the other PPIs in our portfolio, but not that.”
Need for fiber supplements booms

NEW YORK — As many as 16% of those Americans who take supplements actively take a fiber supplement, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition 2016 Annual Survey on Dietary Supplements. And usage skews younger — 21% of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 years old who supplement take fiber, compared to 9% of adults over the age of 55 years who take a supplement.
10 Truths of OTC No. 3: Technology is a double-edged sword

Truth 3: OTC purveyors face the double-edged sword of technology, both threat and opportunity

Digital technology is one of the most disruptive and productive developments in human history. The pace of change is astonishing. The tricorder, once something out of science fiction, is now at the advanced prototype stage. From hardware processing speed to proliferating social platforms, the implications are profound for all aspects of human life, including healthcare.