In this Issue

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Natural beauty brand Éclair Naturals is leveraging the popularity of the latest bath craze with its popular and fun Fizzy Bath Cupcakes. Infused with almond oil, vitamin E and botanical extracts, Fizzy Bath Cupcakes gives consumers a natural soak, with the benefits of skin moisturizing, soothing and conditioning. Fizzy Bath Cupcakes are available in five scents: eucalyptus, rosemary and mint; grapefruit orange; lavender and vanilla; sandalwood; and breeze. All Éclair Naturals products are gluten free.

Digital engagement is an integral part of CVS Health’s growth strategy, and for good reason. The digital customer at CVS spends 4.5 times more and engages with the CVS brand six times more than non-digital customers do.

(To download Special Report: Double Down on Health, click here.)

The ExtraCare loyalty program has grown to become CVS Health’s crown jewel. In 2015, the program — now in its 15th year — helped drive nearly $4 billion in savings for its roughly 70 million active cardholders. More important, it has emerged as the key engine driving CVS Health’s personalization efforts — a critical component of the company’s five-pillar strategy to reenergize its front-end business.

For the year ended May 2016, specialty medicines made up 36% of all drug spend, according to IMS Health data. And for the year-to-date as of May, specialty spending growth was at 23% — outpacing the 7.8% YTD spending growth that traditional medicines saw in the same time period.

The next big Rx-to-OTC switch opportunity in 2017 could be migraine treatments.

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

“They did switch Imitrex [in Europe],” Laura Mahecha, industry manager healthcare for Kline Group, said, citing concerns of “potential cardiovascular side effects.” Mahecha called the potential of a 2017 migraine switch “low to moderate.”

Winning with U.S. Hispanics is the solution to accelerating sales growth. Univision partnered with Nielsen to study the Hispanic Healthcare Journey and uncover differences and similarities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic attitudes and behaviors. This new, groundbreaking research explores how patients manage their path to treatment and follows consumers’ path to purchase for the total OTC market and the key categories of pain, vitamins, cough-cold, and allergy remedies.

Unilever’s $1 billion purchase of Dollar Shave Club was an eye-opening deal. While Unilever has been on a buying spree, snapping up companies such as REN, Kate Somerville, Dermalogica and Murad — all premium skin care brands — the deal with Dollar Shave represented growth in a different market. Now the industry awaits Unilever’s next move.

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

The drug store industry said goodbye to two icons of the business in September. Charles R. “Cork” Walgreen III, 80, former president, CEO, chairman of the board and chairman emeritus of the company that bears his family’s name, and David Bloom, 76, the former, long-time CEO of Shoppers Drug Mart passed away last month — exactly one day apart on Sept. 26 and Sept. 25, respectively.