In this Issue

Drug Store News recently spoke with Phillip Dritsas, SVP and general manager, consumer division and specialty markets for Mission Pharmacal, about the opportunities for Dr. Smith’s products in both the baby and adult categories.

DSN: Can you tell us more about trends in both ends of the baby and adult category?

While consumers may be growing more health-conscious with their food choices, it seems there is still room for life’s little indulgences. According to new international research on snacking motivation from Mintel, Americans cited treating themselves as the top reason to snack (50%), and more than one-quarter (28%) agreed that taste is more important than health when choosing a snack.

“The formula for growth is simple. There’s really only three levers you can pull — find new buyers, get your buyers to spend more and/or raise prices,” said Chris Morley, president of fast-moving consumer goods, or FMCG, and retail at Nielsen. “But talk to most retailers and FMCG companies today, and they’ll tell you that growth is increasingly hard to find.”

No longer a dormant category, sales of sleep aids continue to climb at a rate of 3.9% for the 52 weeks ended June 11 across total U.S. multi-outlets, according to IRI. While that entire category was lifted with the introduction of Procter & Gamble’s ZzzQuil line, which still figures prominently, it only started there.

Formed in 2014, Foundation Consumer Healthcare is bringing both venerable OTC products and new opportunities to market, Steve Howard, the company’s chief marketing officer, told Drug Store News. The following is an excerpt of Drug Store News’ interview with Howard heading into NACDS Total Store Expo.

For all the clamor and controversy over being “cruelty-free,” little attention is paid to the animal derivatives used in the products themselves. There is a small but growing band of thought leaders — brands, bloggers and activists — who are determined to raise awareness and create a market for those who want to lessen the environmental impact of animal agriculture by offering vegan beauty products.

Since Sandoz acquired the AmLactin family of skin care brands from Upsher-Smith Laboratories last December, the company has been hammering out a growth strategy for the consumer skin care brand. With its strong heritage in the fast-expanding therapeutic segment of skin care, AmLactin offers rich potential for retailers to build that portion of their business. Brant Schofield, VP and general manager of dermatology at Sandoz, shared with Drug Store News the blueprint for AmLactin’s growth under Sandoz.

Aging baby boomers have been a prime market for OTC analgesics, but the oldest members of society don’t have a monopoly on aches and pains. A new marketing campaign for Prestige Brands’ Anacin seeks to address this fact by aiming squarely at the millennial generation.