RETAIL NEWS

Frustrated watching specialty stores, online merchants and department stores siphon off a market they once controlled more than 50% of, mass marketers are firing back.

(To view the full Category Review, click here.)

To regain their dominance of the $16 billion U.S. beauty market, chains such as Walgreens, Target, CVS and Walmart are burnishing their images. Among the moves they are taking are:

Transformation happens NOT when something new begins but when something old falls apart. Transformation occurs through the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new, including a reorientation, said philosopher Richard Rohr.

The transformative companies are growing at a rate at least 10 times the pace of their competitors. What’s their philosophy and what makes them special?

Beer is still America’s No. 1 alcoholic beverage, but retail experts say that U.S. consumers are buying less of it as they turn to other alcohol types, such as hard soda, cider and wine.

(To view the full Category Review, click here.)

There are definitely several themes playing out across Drug Store News’ top 10 list of breakthrough brands, defined by those brands that have contributed the most impactful growth over an annualized period, in this case for the 52 weeks ended Oct. 2 across total U.S. multi-outlets, according to IRI.

(To view the full OTC Trend Report, click here.)

WASHINGTON - A study published online earlier this week in the Annals of Emergency Medicine reported that retail clinics opened near emergency departments had little effect on rates of low-acuity visits to them. And an accompanying editorial suggested that the primary effect of opening retail clinics is to increase health care use, not substitute for emergency department visits

Today’s diabetes patients represent a coveted consumer base for retail pharmacy no matter how you characterize that diabetes spend. For example, consumers with diabetes spend 35% more on OTC products than the average consumer, noted Jeff Gregori, group VP consumer and shopper analytics for Nielsen, during a presentation at the 2016 National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo.

More and more, meter manufacturers today are differentiating their offerings not by the traditional micrometers of blood necessary for a viable glucose reading or the value inherent in the cost of test strips, but in the accompanying adherence app or other technologies that will help diabetes patients better navigate their disease states.

(To view the full Diabetes Report, click here.)

Sam’s Club last month hosted a health screening day specifically catering to the health needs of the women shopping the store with a “Support Her Health” screening offering. “Women often prioritize their families’ needs and work responsibilities over their own health and wellness, but it’s important to ensure regular health checkups don’t fall off the to-do list,” said Tara Raddohl, senior director of corporate communications at Sam’s Club.