In this Issue

Judging by many makeup looks on the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2011 in New York, it was evident that lipstick was going to be in the shopping basket of many beauty mavens. That has proven to be the case.


According to SymphonyIRI Group, lipstick sales have experienced strong double-digit growth in the 12 weeks ended April 17. Topping the list, according to SymphonyIRI, were lip products that offer such innovation as long-wearing color like CoverGirl Outlast, Maybelline SuperStay and L’Oréal Paris 
Infallible Le Rouge.


Energy shots have delivered a jolt to pharmacy sales to the tune of an incremental $50 million in the past year. That business was borne out of targeting the typical all-nighters: college kids cramming for exams, truck drivers and third-shift workers. But seniors?


The humble coupon is back, in a big way.


Two years after the nation’s economy hit bottom in the most wrenching tailspin since the onset of the Great Depression, coupon use in the United States has staged a remarkable comeback. 



Sports drinks and energy beverages remain the driving forces behind the beverage category. Dollar volume across all three channels for both segments spiked nearly 15% for the 12-week period ended April 17, according to SymphonyIRI Group data.


Nail color continues to be a rock star in the beauty aisle, as many women have forgone the pricey salon and embraced the do-it-yourself trend, and as manufacturers increasingly launch innovative nail products.


“Lending a strong hand to the success of the makeup category was nail polishes, which [were] up by 20.4% in 2010 due to new product activity ad­apted to achieving at-home salon results and easy application,” consulting and research firm Kline & Co. recently stated in its Cosmetics & Toiletries USA 2010 report.


A shift in consumers’ shopping behavior to one that is focused on value, coupled with a desire to escape everyday stresses, likely helped drive the growth of bath and body scrubbers/massagers.


As shoppers increasingly have been watching their dollars, many have been creating an at-home spa experience versus spending their money at a pricey salon. This desire to create an at-home oasis has benefited the bath and body segment.



The overall weight-loss/nutritional shake category spans ready-to-drink diet aids (Slim Fast), pediatric nutrition needs (PediaSure) and adult nutrition needs (Ensure and Boost). Out of all of these, it’s adult nutrition that creates the most synergy with the backbench; seniors need protein and supplementation to ensure a healthy life free of broken hips and fractured elbows. But that isn’t the only prescription-heavy demographic checking out the latest Ensure and Boost flavors.

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.