Beauty, beacon technology among highlights at this year’s GMDC HBW
PHOENIX — There are a number of reasons to be excited about the Global Market Development Center 2015 Health Beauty Wellness conference, not the least of which is a new beauty immersion session designed to help recapture that beauty shopper.
“These beauty immersions are exclusive and new formats for us. They’re pilots,” explained Mark Mechelse, director research, consumer insights and communications at GMDC. GMDC is helping retailers reignite interest within the beauty and personal care categories as a destination. “We’ve been working hand-in-hand with Nielsen to develop some insights,” Mechelse added. “Here’s an opportunity not only to create a more immersive experience for your customers, but also an opportunity to start stealing wallet share from Amazon, especially when millennials start walking through that door.”
According to market research from Lucintel, “rising consumer incomes and changing lifestyles are driving the global beauty care products industry, which is forecasted to reach around $265 billion by 2017.”
Another unique opportunity at the conference: GMDC’s focus on showcasing beacon technology that will truly create in-store experiential differentiation for the shopper. “This is new technology that has recently been funded by private equity in order to go to market,” Mechelse reported. “This is an exclusive venue within GMDC — no other trade association is introducing technology like this to the retail industry like we are.”
BKON Connect will be on hand at GMDC HBW to demonstrate how beacon technology can truly transform the shopper experience.
In addition to the beauty immersion and beacon technology displays, this year’s conference will delve into ways food and drug retailers can best promote beauty aisles and navigate sales in the face of a growing industry where the consumer is commanding change. In addition, the conference addresses opportunities for retailers to rethink their approach to over-the-counter healthcare products and the expanding role of in-store pharmacies — and how retailers can help transform customers from curious, to interested, to committed buyers of wellness products, and raise their store’s potential to ring up more wellness-first and price-secondary sales.
“GMDC’s HBW conference is more relevant than ever before because retailers and suppliers can meet in real-time, have face-to-face conversations about these changes affecting the marketplace, and develop strategies that challenge how they’re thinking about health, beauty and wellness,” stated Patrick Spear, GMDC president and CEO.
During the conference business session slated for Oct. 3, Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Wakefern will provide insights into the impact of healthcare legislation and how the shift toward more over-the-counter product sales is enabling manufacturers and retailers to view “patients” and “consumers” on the same continuum. “Next-practices” will be the focus, and strategies will be revealed about how stores can redesign their merchandising toward “how the shopper shops,” which can build a significant lift in sales. “They’ll be doing a deep dive into the diabetes category and how Johnson & Johnson is helping Wakefern engage that diabetic,” Mechelse added.
One other addition to the conference this year is the Preview Box, a unique pre-conference program where suppliers can place selected products into the hands of every wholesaler and retailer attending the conference, offering them the opportunity to touch, see and use their new or best-selling products or innovative packaging prior to the conference. A sample of the Preview Box program also is placed outside the entrance of the showcase at GMDC HBW for attendees to see how this marketing tool is delivered to each retailer executive.
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