The time is now to move any breast-feeding products from the floor of the baby care aisle to eye level — as Walgreens has done here — because mom’s interest in the category received two big boosts earlier this year.


Take a bite out of clutter Photogator has released an alternative to the clips, tape and pushpins essential in any office or home. The Photogator is an oval plastic stand with three curved slots that holds photo cards, recipe cards, photos and even retail signage. Price: $6 (3-pack), $15 (10-pack) PhotogatorStand.com


CVS provided a healthy dose of convenience to urban dwellers with the opening of its Urban Cluster store concept late last year. The stores have a decidedly unique bend, being stocked with a broad range of consumables, including an expanded pantry offering and a selection of affordable wines priced under $7.


Beauty360 has been described as “a natural evolution” of CVS/pharmacy’s commitment to beauty, and there’s no denying that it is much different than any beauty department you’ll find in a traditional CVS/pharmacy store. As of press time, there were 25 Beauty360 stores in operation, located primarily in California. The first location was unveiled November 2008 at a Capitol district CVS store in the center of Dupont Circle.


A fresh new vision has come into view at Duane Reade as the Walgreens-owned retailer expanded its fresh food and grocery offerings. In its Union Square store in Manhattan, shown here, consumers are greeted by an expansive food offering that includes an island of such on-the-go meals as oatmeal, sushi, sandwiches and salads; baked goods with a self-service coffee bar; and an array of frozen foods. The concept also prominently features the store-brand DR Delish line of premium snacks and beverages.


Perhaps concerned that customers might shift their prescriptions after its acquisition, Duane Reade is reminding shoppers that far from reducing services, ownership by Walgreens means expanded services. 


Thanks to this poster at a Duane Reade store at the corner of Park Avenue and 56th Street in New York, customers know that they can pick up their prescriptions at any of Walgreens’ more than 7,000 stores in all 
50 states.


As of this past fall, many retailers began facing their condom displays upright as part of a supplier-driven efficiency program that will end up creating additional shelf space. On average, three vertical condom packages will occupy the same space once taken by only two horizontal condom packages. That means last year, only four packages would have fit in this shelf shot, taken at CVS. 


Counterfeit drugs are a problem that won’t go away. In a recent segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Sanjay Gupta explored the dark underworld of drug counterfeiting. While covering the bust of a counterfeiting operation in Lima, Peru, Gupta ­— himself a doctor — said he couldn’t tell the drugs were fake. But luckily, several technologies have been developed in recent years that allow quick detection of counterfeits. One company developing such a technology is Mobile Data Systems.


Shoppers of Bed Bath & Beyond’s Upper East Side location in New York can experience the ultimate beauty destination thanks to the recent opening there of L’Oréal Paris’ first-ever “boutique.”



Max-Wellness, the unique health-and-wellness destination that made its debut in the Cleveland area in 2010, features “Max-Answers” information stations throughout the store. However, what really distinguishes these stations from typical mass-oriented information kiosks is their portability — the Web-based tablets can be picked up by a customer or Max-Wellness associate for use right at the shelf of interest.



The new-look Duane Reade stores feature a special Papyrus section in the greeting card aisle. Papyrus — known for its posh collection of greeting cards, gift wrap, stationery and other unique gift products — certainly has lent an air of distinction to the department with its upscale fixtures and sleek design.


Cards for all occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, are merchandised attractively in the more than 8 ft. of space devoted to the section.

85% — that’s more or less the combined market share for the companies that make up the 2011 DSN PoweRx50, approximately $185 billion of the total $218 billion retail pharmacy industry. Numbering almost 50,000 stores among them, or more than 8-of-10 of all the pharmacies in the United States — BAM! — the DSN PoweRx50 indisputably reflects the true titans of the retail pharmacy industry.