With just about 90 days to go until the start of the first-ever Total Store Expo in Las Vegas this August, DSN convened executives from leading consumer health and consumer packaged goods companies for a frank and wide-ranging discussion about how their companies are preparing to win at TSE. The show — which will combine the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ former Marketplace, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Pharmacy and Technology conferences into one new mega-show — will bring together retail executives and suppliers from all three fields.

Even as the big chains get bigger, the industry's top regional chains continue to grow in relevance and importance in the markets they dominate. In this special digital report, DSN profiles the leading regional pharmacy chains in food, drug and mass, with a special focus on what makes each one unique.

One thing remains unchanged about our readers: Retail clinicians tend to love their jobs. What has changed somewhat over the years is the chief reason retail clinicians seem to like what they do.

Every year, thousands of new items are launched at retail. Typically, about half of 1% are ever truly successful. The DSN Innov-ies salutes the most innovative new products in health and beauty launched between May 2011 and May 2012 — not just a bunch of new flavors and sizes, but the truly unique items that brought real growth to the category.

Recent industry trends surrounding niche brands have elevated the role that business development organizations, master brokers, regional brokers and sales and marketing consultants play in helping to bring niche brands to market, stay on shelf and garner the greatest ROI from their marketing spend. To gain greater insight into how these industry professionals are helping niche brands find success at retail, DSN hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with some of today’s leading players.

In November 2011, The Drug Store News Group hosted in New York an exclusive roundtable discussion of leading pharmacy retailers and a handful of key vendors. Moderated by special guest Dave Wendland of Hamacher Resource Group, the panel tackled a wide range of issues surrounding diabetes management and much more.

In an effort to tap into the minds of some of the industry's top executives, Drug Store News recently sat down and talked with some of these leaders in a multipart executive viewpoint video series.

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. The DSN PoweRx50 indisputably reflects the true titans of the retail pharmacy industry. It is the ONLY truly CHANNEL-AGNOSTIC ranking of the retail pharmacy industry that measures all of retail pharmacy, including traditional drug chains, independents, supermarkets, mass and club stores — ALL of it. BA-BOOM!

Talk about a bold retail vision. Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson said the nation’s top pharmacy retailer wants nothing less than to “own well.” He’s serious. Owning “well” — or, put another way, becoming the nation’s top retail resource for pharmacy and health-and-wellness services and products — is the kind of declaration few retail pharmacy executives would dare utter. But Wasson isn’t running just any drug store chain.

Pharmaclay Delivery Systems has announced that it will introduce Clayspray, a line of clay-based beauty products targeting the face and body, to the U.S. market this summer.

Marley Beverage Co., a partnership with the family of the legendary reggae artist that promotes a wide range of healthy, natural drinks, is set to relaunch One Drop, a ready-to-drink premium Jamaican coffee beverage made with real cane sugar and all-natural ingredients, the company announced.

Walmart Stores reported profit and sales lower than Wall Street expectations as the retail giant struggled against the payroll tax increase, delayed tax returns and an unseasonably cold spring impacting its U.S. sales.