In this Issue

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.

Over the past 75 years, Lewis Drug has come to epitomize the best of regional drug store retailing. Based in Sioux Falls, S.D., the company has become deeply embedded in the life of many Upper Midwest communities, and the go-to resource for pharmacy and front-line healthcare services in dozens of towns scattered throughout eastern South Dakota, Minnesota and northwest Iowa. Its largest stores wield a remarkably wide assortment of products and generate in excess of $10 million annually.

The upper respiratory, cold-allergy-sinus liquids and tablets segments combined saw a 4% growth in sales across multi-outlets for the last 12 months compared with the previous year, with growth in drug and food channels for both UR segments. Impressive growth of 7% from cold-allergy-sinus liquids in the drug channel was driven by manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser with 16% growth year over year (Figure 1).

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee on Friday announced it now offers a Begin for Diabetes lifestyle management program, in addition to its existing Begin and Begin 4 Kids programs. All three options are led by registered dietitians in Hy-Vee’s 244 stores across its eight-state region.

I never understood people who root against the hometown team. I once knew a New York Yankees fan that was pulling for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. (Are you kidding me — the FLIPPING Red Sox?!) I bet him $50 just on principal; what kind of demented Yankees fan could ever root for the Red Sox to beat another New York team? Surely, this is the kind of sick lunatic that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the CIA and just about every federal and local law enforcement agency in the country should have on a watch list.

How does Lewis Drug thrive in a crowded and super-competitive marketplace? The company’s success formula is no big secret, said Bob Meyer, SVP of merchandise and marketing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to replicate. “[We try] to find niches in the marketplace where we feel we can do better than our competition,” Meyer explained.

As Lewis Drug marks its 75th year in business, its long-term success “still comes down to relationships,” according to Bill Ladwig, SVP of professional services.