In this Issue

SOMERSET, N.J. — Meda Consumer recently updated its website supporting Feosol, featuring an easy-to-navigate menu of information for consumers looking for answers behind why their practitioner recommended iron supplementation, and which supplement is best for them. The website breaks iron supplementation down into pragmatic, easy-to-understand terms.

When I started covering this business about 20 years ago, there was a lot of attention around channel blurring. With supermarkets and mass merchants adding pharmacy counters and expanding health and beauty, while drug stores added more food, the neat lines that the trade had once used to distinguish one retail channel from another were becoming harder to delineate.

Whether you call the category by its old-school moniker “wearables” or the relatively new catch phrase “therables,” one thing is for sure: This niche market targeting first-adopter tech geeks and fitness fanatics might not be “niche” for much longer.

HAYES, U.K. — Eyelashes and artificial nails are growing, and that isn’t wasted on PDC Brands, which last month scooped up the United Kingdom’s Original Additions. The deal brings PDC, known for fragrance and bath products, into two new categories. Most notable is the chance to expand into the artificial eyelash category with Original Additions’ Eylure London, the No. 1 cosmetics lash brand in the United Kingdom.

AMERICAN FORK, Utah — In preparation for this year’s summer Olympics, KT Health added official partnerships with six U.S. Olympic national governing bodies — USA Cycling, USA Gymnastics, USA Track & Field, USA Triathlon, USA Rugby and USA Wrestling — bringing the total to seven when including its partnership with U.S. Soccer that began in 2014.

The confluence of two trends — products for textured hair and natural formulas — has put a lift in hair care sales. With the exception of styling products and hair colors, all other hair care categories are showing sales that are on the upswing. While some of that positive traction comes from new launches, a great deal is attributed to fresh merchandising and marketing campaigns.

As shoppers look for healthier alternatives to traditional soft drinks, the U.S. bottled water category is reaching new heights, according to Mintel. New data revealed that sales of bottled water increased 6.4% to more than $15 billion in 2015. Mintel said that it expects sales to continue growing through 2020, with projected sales growth of 34.7% for the category, including an astonishing 75.1% growth estimate for the sparkling/mineral water/seltzer segment.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Recently, CVS has been highlighting its exclusive line Enlite Super Face and Flawless Body. The collection reflects the industry’s efforts to offer consumers something the competition doesn’t have. In this case, the items are formulas not often found in mass retail.