In this Issue

After four decades in retailing, Panzer has been lucky enough to have a number of great mentors in business, but the Albertson’s healthcare chief tells DSN some of the most important lessons he ever learned came as a young cowhand on his grandmother’s Santa Fe ranch.

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.

Overall, sales of multivitamins are relatively flat — 0.2% annual growth toward a $1.8 billion base. But according to the latest consumer survey from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 3-in-4 adults use a multivitamin. So, have sales of multivitamins plateaued, or are there pockets of opportunity out there?

The proof a category is hot can be measured not only by the number of players looking to participate in that category, but also by the heft of new entrants. Such is the case with aromatherapy, and this year, a major player in the VMS space is “getting their sniff on.”

Drug Store News spoke with Troy Talarico, VP sales Fusion Diet Systems, regarding the consumer diet aid trend favoring meal-replacement offerings over quick-fix solutions.

(Click here to view the full VMS Report.)

DSN: What are the factors driving the growth in sales of diet aids and meal-replacement solutions across retail pharmacy?

Nutrex is introducing a new pre-workout product called OutLift that is differentiated by having no proprietary blend (full disclosure ingredients) and contains no “banned” ingredients. Fully-disclosed labels means the formulation of the product isn’t hiding within a proprietary ingredient. “It’s 10 clinically-dosed ingredients,” said Raul Gil, Nutrex research VP sales.

Sales of diet aids are rocketing across retail right now thanks in no small part to the 38% of Americans who made weight-related resolutions for 2017. Of course, it won’t last long. As many as 25% of New Year Resolutionists lose their conviction in the first week. And less than half will still be weight-loss focused at the mid-year mark.

Sports nutrition is a category beginning to emerge as a viable destination center within mass outlets, as evidenced by growth behind brands like Premier Nutrition. For the 52 weeks ended Oct. 30, Premier Nutrition generated $160.9 million in sales on 85% growth, according to IRI across total U.S. multi-outlet.