In this Issue

Chill out, chihuahua
Stress and anxiety among pets can lead to all kinds of negative emotions, but Rescue Remedy Pet offers a quick and easy solution.
Price: $15.55 to $18.95
RescueRemedy.com/Pets

Back-to-college merchandise is big business. “College students are starting to represent the most important segment of the back-to-school market,” said Perry James, an analyst with the NPD Group. The segment has grown, Perry said, since the weak job market has caused many college seniors to extend their education through graduate school.

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.

NEW YORK — An unprecedented 100-plus vendors presented the latest in healthcare technology earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show. CES added the healthcare-driven Digital Health Pavilion to its show some years ago, and the number of exhibitors participating continues to increase.

“There’s definitely a distinct interest now from a consumer perspective around health, and we’re starting to see that grow,” Continua Health executive director Chuck Parker told Drug Store News.

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.

In the year leading up to the switch of Allegra, Sanofi generated $214.2 million in U.S. prescription sales of Allegra, largely due to the generic competition against its Allegra D formulation. Now Sanofi is looking to virtually match those annual sales figures within the much more profitable nonprescription venue with the company’s successful switch from prescription to OTC this spring. 


Couponing is digitizing.


Although printed circulars remain the workhorse of the nation’s coupon distribution system, a growing share of the coupons consumers are handing cashiers are emerging from online distribution sources and are being printed out at home. A smaller but growing segment also is being handled exclusively through electronic means via smartphones and mobile technology.


It’s like if KITT, the talking car on the 80s TV hit “Knight Rider,” consulted Hasselhoff about his excessive drinking while the two used advanced automotive and information-based technology to fight crime — and improve health outcomes.