Looking back, looking ahead

This month, Drug Store News is taking a moment to look back on the last 90 years of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and retail pharmacy, which has had a storied history, playing a role in many aspects of American life. In addition to the serious job of providing prescriptions, health care and immunizations to millions of customers, there is a fun side to the industry that is worth some acknowledgement.

For example, Walgreens was the first drug store chain to use child-resistant containers. Sam Walton used his pickup truck to personally deliver merchandise to Sam’s Club Stores. In the 1980’s Walton would challenge employees to a “price check showdown,” encouraging them to find incorrectly priced items for a reward of $100. 

Barney Kroger used his life savings of $372 to open a grocery store in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the 1970s, Kroger became the first grocer in the United States to test an electronic scanner and the first to formalize consumer research.

In an unprecedented move, Drug Store News has teamed up with its competitor Chain Drug Review and the Emerson Group to help celebrate the contributions of NACDS and retail drugstores over the last 90 years. We have an entire section that celebrates the retailers and the people that have helped make the industry the froce that it is today (The section also will appear in the pages of Chain Drug Review).

This month we also take a look at the importance and relevance of TikTok to suppliers. Our story delves into the hottest TikTok trends and on how brands can position their strategies in the coming year and beyond. 

“With the year 2024 right around the corner, there’s a unanimous consensus that TikTok is no longer exclusively for young audiences— it’s a platform for everyone,” writes Sheryl Teo, founder and CEO of Popcorn Growth, a firm that helps clients leverage social media and influencer marketing to boost their brands. “It is imperative for marketers to harness it to avoid missing out on its potential.”