In this Issue

Most brands still have a long way to go to live up to the promise of personalized, 1-to-1 relationships with customers that the Internet was supposed to facilitate, according to Evan Neufeld, VP of intelligence at benchmarking firm L2.

The Makeup Show NYC kicked off in May, with an address from director of artistry James Vincent. As a makeup artist with decades of experience working in every facet of the industry, Vincent offered a firsthand account of the trends that are fueling social media, driving sales and shaping product development.

Retailers and their suppliers are squandering opportunities to grow their businesses together strategically, a former Target executive told attendees at the third annual New General Market Summit, hosted by Drug Store News and Mack Elevation. “The discussion between retail and CPGs has been reduced to one issue only: How much money are you going to give me? How much cost reduction can we get?” said Daniel Duty, founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based Conlego Consulting.

In April, Drug Store News and Mack Elevation co-hosted the third annual New General Market Summit. The one-day thought leadership event examined the changing face of the American shopper — driven not only by the growth of multicultural and millennial consumers but also by the influence these consumers are having on all consumers — and how the best brands are able to connect on an emotional level, as well as build community and advocacy with an ever-more diverse consumer.

Coming from a diverse neighborhood gave her ‘street smarts,’ but Rite Aid’s head of pharmacy tells Drug Store News her most important leadership lessons came from two pillars of the Philadelphia community — her mom and dad.

Sports nutrition recovery mixes, protein bars and pre-workout shakes are becoming popular among a consumer well beyond core vein-popping gym rats. As more Americans wrestle with the cost of their health care, they continue to gravitate toward better lifestyle choices. This means these niche products that were at one time only purchased by body builders and serious athletes have become appealing to the mainstream consumer.

Retailers expect the second half of 2017 will bring bounce to overlooked categories within hair care, especially styling aids and treatments. While shampoos and conditioners have squeezed out low single-digit gains over the past few years, the styling segment has been flat or down.

Mass market doors might not be the prime destination for all beauty products, but there are market wedges the channel dominates. An example is color cosmetics, where brows and lashes are leading the charge to attract shoppers. Bath sales are also bubbling again as drug stores wrest customers away from mall-based specialty stores, while also nabbing licensed hits that score big with parents. IRI tracked double-digit increases in the category over the past year.