In this Issue

The combined one- and two-letter vitamins and vitamin, herbal and mineral supplement categories saw an all outlet (total U.S.) growth of 3% for the last 12 months versus the year-ago period, yet the food channel delivered gains of 4% while the drug channel lagged at 2%. Key drivers in drug were VHMS (up 3.4%), followed by one- and two-letter vitamins (up 2.7%). In the food channel, multivitamins gained just 2%, while both VHMS and one- and two-letter vitamins increased 4% and 5%, respectively. (Figure 1)

One year after the project was formally announced, the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s Supplement OWL initiative became a reality this spring when the online product registry went live. A resource for regulators, retailers and the industry, the OWL is an industry-wide, self-regulatory initiative that will help create a rich and more complete picture of the marketplace, and can be accessed by anyone.

From large-scale, high-volume processors linked with data management software and video-enabled prescription verification systems to “cobots’’ that require a minimal amount of countertop space, a new generation of dispensing tools is allowing pharmacies to shift more of the workload to technicians and central-fill sites so pharmacists can focus on patient interventions and clinical services.

In April, Drug Store News and Mack Elevation co-hosted the third annual New General Market Summit. The one-day thought leadership event examined the changing face of the American shopper — driven not only by the growth of multicultural and millennial consumers but also by the influence these consumers are having on all consumers — and how the best brands are able to connect on an emotional level, as well as build community and advocacy with an ever-more diverse consumer.

Coming from a diverse neighborhood gave her ‘street smarts,’ but Rite Aid’s head of pharmacy tells Drug Store News her most important leadership lessons came from two pillars of the Philadelphia community — her mom and dad.

Retailers expect the second half of 2017 will bring bounce to overlooked categories within hair care, especially styling aids and treatments. While shampoos and conditioners have squeezed out low single-digit gains over the past few years, the styling segment has been flat or down.

Mass market doors might not be the prime destination for all beauty products, but there are market wedges the channel dominates. An example is color cosmetics, where brows and lashes are leading the charge to attract shoppers. Bath sales are also bubbling again as drug stores wrest customers away from mall-based specialty stores, while also nabbing licensed hits that score big with parents. IRI tracked double-digit increases in the category over the past year.

If IRI’s latest Pacesetters report on the biggest consumer packaged goods product launches in 2016 could be summed up in one message, it’s that consumers are looking for healthier options. The trend extends to consumables with 57% of food and beverage categories with healthier solutions growing faster than the sector average.