Deep DME presence, loyalty program boosts Discount Drug profile

MEDINA, Ohio — The family-owned-and-operated Discount Drug Mart added a line of wigs to its already deep presence within durable medical equipment for oncology patients. Discount Drug, which generated $530.6 million in 2009, is in its second year as an accredited provider under Medicare Part B.


“[The DME offering] clearly helps us from a traffic perspective ... it makes us a more complete provider,” Tom McConnell, Discount Drug Mart VP and CFO, told Drug Store News. In addition to building traffic, McConnell surmised the dedicated DME sets also help grow market basket, in part because DME usually includes higher-ticket items but also because those DME customers become very loyal shoppers.


More than 1 million of Discount Drug’s customers have signed on to the chain’s loyalty card program. With each prescription, Discount Drug Mart started rewarding those loyal members with a “Winter Wellness” care package, which included a hand sanitizer, antihistamine and other products to ward off winter colds, a little more than a year ago. And this past summer, Discount Drug Mart added a “Summer Wellness” package.


The 41-year-old chain still is operated by the Boodjeh family — Parviz serves as chairman and CEO and his son Doug as COO and buyer.