In this Issue

Americans are spending more than $60 billion on beauty annually. To survive as a meaningful competitor in this evolving beauty arena, drug stores must start to burnish their image.

In the healthcare space, it’s a long-held tenet that female heads of household, aka moms, are the primary purchasers of the OTC remedies and balms that cure ailments. So, why not capture her loyalty from the beginning — or even before the beginning?

Cosmoprof North America, or CPNA, delivered a robust beauty trade fair featuring resources for every aspect of business, from packaging and filling to finished product. The event, held July 9 to July 12 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, grew this year in both attendance and square footage, which can be attributed to expansion in such specialized areas as scent, natural products and multicultural items, not to mention a multitude of country pavilions — with Korean beauty holding court in two areas.

One of the biggest marketing opportunities for brands and retailers is reaching out to caregivers. Whether it is assisting in grooming rituals or housekeeping, finding products to help those who can’t do for themselves is a trend popping up on the radar.

Consumers continue to turn to online and specialty retail channels for their pet care needs, but drug retailers can do more to assist shoppers in making purchasing decisions in store.

No matter where you stand with regard to Obamacare or the American Health Care Act that Congress is debating even now, one factor is certain: The cost of health care — and the consumer’s share of that cost — is only going to grow.

No longer a dormant category, sales of sleep aids continue to climb at a rate of 3.9% for the 52 weeks ended June 11 across total U.S. multi-outlets, according to IRI. While that entire category was lifted with the introduction of Procter & Gamble’s ZzzQuil line, which still figures prominently, it only started there.

Formed in 2014, Foundation Consumer Healthcare is bringing both venerable OTC products and new opportunities to market, Steve Howard, the company’s chief marketing officer, told Drug Store News. The following is an excerpt of Drug Store News’ interview with Howard heading into NACDS Total Store Expo.