New items resonate with consumers
A number of recent product offerings in the VMS space may represent white-space opportunities — or products that help create a marketing or merchandising niche that resonates with today’s consumer.
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For example, it’s not often that you can bring a holiday-themed merchandiser to the over-the-counter set. Shoppers who are shopping the OTC aisle with gift-giving in mind are either desperately seeking a remedy that will keep them going just one more day (colds and flu are the worst), or they’re looking to fill their loved one’s stocking with a low-cost stuffer — Blistex, for example.
But now Piping Rock is giving retailers an opportunity to feature a little “merry” merchandising just opposite the pharmacy counter with the release of its limited-edition, 100%-pure plant-based essential oil and aromatherapy gift sets. “Holiday cheer is the perfect scent to uplift the spirits this holiday season,” stated Kimberly Vigliante, SVP sales and marketing at Piping Rock. The limited edition aroma, Holiday Cheer, features a warm spice botanical blend of clove, cinnamon, orange sweet oil and lemongrass oil, or just the kind of scent you want to relax to after a night of unwrapping gifts. The addition not only adds a little seasonal spice to the aromatherapy aisle this holiday season, it creates an opportunity to attract new users to aromatherapy, Vigliante added. And next year, opportunities like this may help anchor a complete holiday gift-giving wellness solution that could feature other alternative wellness-oriented categories, such as yoga.
Another white-space opportunity might be found within the latest hangover remedy to reach the market. Hangover supplements historically haven’t performed well, but Life Support Development is marketing its latest remedy not only as a hangover solution, but as source for the kind of energy people burning the candlestick at both ends might want to tap into.
“Our research has shown that a majority of customers are buying Life Support as a hangover prevention between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.,” said Shannon O’Shields, Life Support director of marketing. Coffee and energy shots were the leading companion purchases with the original formula, so the company added an energy booster to its original recovery formula. “Life Support Red Label [helps] prevent that afternoon crash commonly associated with energy drinks.”
(Click here to view the full VMS Report.)
For example, it’s not often that you can bring a holiday-themed merchandiser to the over-the-counter set. Shoppers who are shopping the OTC aisle with gift-giving in mind are either desperately seeking a remedy that will keep them going just one more day (colds and flu are the worst), or they’re looking to fill their loved one’s stocking with a low-cost stuffer — Blistex, for example.
But now Piping Rock is giving retailers an opportunity to feature a little “merry” merchandising just opposite the pharmacy counter with the release of its limited-edition, 100%-pure plant-based essential oil and aromatherapy gift sets. “Holiday cheer is the perfect scent to uplift the spirits this holiday season,” stated Kimberly Vigliante, SVP sales and marketing at Piping Rock. The limited edition aroma, Holiday Cheer, features a warm spice botanical blend of clove, cinnamon, orange sweet oil and lemongrass oil, or just the kind of scent you want to relax to after a night of unwrapping gifts. The addition not only adds a little seasonal spice to the aromatherapy aisle this holiday season, it creates an opportunity to attract new users to aromatherapy, Vigliante added. And next year, opportunities like this may help anchor a complete holiday gift-giving wellness solution that could feature other alternative wellness-oriented categories, such as yoga.
Another white-space opportunity might be found within the latest hangover remedy to reach the market. Hangover supplements historically haven’t performed well, but Life Support Development is marketing its latest remedy not only as a hangover solution, but as source for the kind of energy people burning the candlestick at both ends might want to tap into.
“Our research has shown that a majority of customers are buying Life Support as a hangover prevention between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.,” said Shannon O’Shields, Life Support director of marketing. Coffee and energy shots were the leading companion purchases with the original formula, so the company added an energy booster to its original recovery formula. “Life Support Red Label [helps] prevent that afternoon crash commonly associated with energy drinks.”