Big bowl of wellness

Now that more drug stores have moved into the grocery business, consumers are gaining more convenient access to food.



As a result, drug stores, which have always been synonymous with health and wellness, also have a tremendous opportunity to meet the nutrition needs of time-starved shoppers by stocking their shelves with healthier foods.



Food manufacturers, like Kellogg, see an opportunity for retail pharmacies to help reinvent the way groceries are merchandised to shoppers and help consumers make better decisions when buying food.



“Cereal is one of the best choices available,” said Doug VanDeVelde, Kellogg SVP of marketing and innovation for ready-to-eat cereal. “In fact, ready-to-eat cereal and milk is the leading source of 10 nutrients in children’s diets. Kellogg, which offers more than 80 cereal choices, continues to respond to consumer requests for better-for-you, convenient products that fit their nutritional needs.”



Since 1906, Kellogg has been providing consumers with high-quality, nutritious and great-tasting food, and Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal help millions of families around the globe start their day off right.



Studies have proven that eating breakfast is closely linked to healthy body weights, improved mental alertness and physical performance. Plus, people who skip breakfast don’t make up for the missed nutrients later in the day.



Additional facts support the importance of breakfast:

• If essential nutrients are missed at breakfast, people don’t compensate for the loss at other meals;


• Cereal is a typically low-fat, cholesterol-free food that encourages breakfast consumption; and


• Breakfast cereal eaters have higher intakes of riboflavin, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin A and vitamin D.

In the United States, ready-to-eat cereal is the preferred breakfast with 82 percent of women and 79 percent of men starting their day with a cereal breakfast. Ready-to-eat cereal is also growing approximately three percent per year and is the third largest center-of-the-store category.



Drug stores are helping educate and assist consumers by communicating the relationship between breakfast and overall nutrition.



CVS, for example, is promoting its grocery initiatives to its ExtraCare loyalty cardholders with coupons, including one for Kellogg’s Fiber Plus cereals. Other Kellogg products that are logical choices for both in-store and coupon or sales circulars include Special K for weight management and All-Bran for digestive health.



In addition to nutrition, price is also a consideration among consumers, a trend that drugs stores are noticing.



“Consumers have become more conscious of their spending; this recessionary mindset has become part of their routine,” VanDeVelde added. “Today, there is an increased focus on brands that provide overall value, including elements of price, nutrition, education, health prevention and family appeal. Cereal and milk fit the bill perfectly. For these reasons, cereal will continue to be a focus category for retailers to drive store traffic.”

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