RETAIL NEWS

NACDS held the Opening Celebration at its Annual Meeting on Saturday night at the Breakers. 

"Negotiations are inherently filled with emotions and risk. Sales success in this new world is much less about sharing your product knowledge and much more about sharing your expertise on emerging trends that may affect many categories. We are now in a world where value is derived from information, not just products.” That was one of the key messages conveyed by Dan Mack, founder of the Elevation Forum.

Drug Store News and Mack Elevation will co-host the 4th annual New General Market “Purpose Driven” Summit in June to help mass retailers and their suppliers gain a better understanding of who their shoppers are and what needs to be done to get them to visit their stores more frequently and buy more products.

Greed is good, a Hollywood actor famously said onscreen nearly three decades ago. Perhaps, but usually only for a few players in the overall market and, even then, only for a short time. Persistence and patience may be better characteristics for decision-makers, particularly in the ever-changing mass retail industry.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Sunday helped to define the narrative of an industry that’s in constant flux. Even as the Trump administration and Congressional leaders seek to reshape what health care looks like in the United States, and even as such industry disruptors as Amazon continue to challenge traditional retail precepts, the retail pharmacy of late has been adept at taking changes in stride.

The Cabanas at the Breakers were busy on Saturday and Sunday with Strategic Exchange Appointments during the 2018 NACDS Annual Meeting.

Sundial Brands and Unilever unveiled the New Voices Fund Sunday at a brunch in the Breakers’ Magnolia room alongside two rising CPG stars benefitting from the effort.

The format, which is being tested in 17 locations, will lower SKU counts per store by roughly 20% while offering new services and lower everyday pricing, Walgreens said.