Breathing easy: Rhinomed’s Duncan highlights sales
Rhinomed is making a lot of noise at retail with its new nasal technology, which includes solutions for snoring and improving breathing while asleep.
Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Rhinomed recently expanded its distribution into a major American pharmacy retailer. Drug Store News caught up with Rhinomed vice president of global sales and marketing Shane Duncan, who discussed the company’s technology and how it can help build sales at retail.
Drug Store News: Tell us about Rhinomed and its history.
Shane Duncan: Rhinomed is a medical technology company with a patented nasal technology platform that seeks to radically improve the way you breathe, sleep, maintain your health and take medication.
In 2016, we launched two revolutionary over-the-counter technologies. They are the Turbine, a nasal dilator designed to assist you to breathe easier during aerobic exercise, and Mute, a nasal technology designed to allow you to radically improve your sleep quality by breathing more and snoring less. Our domestic distribution is now in more than 9,000 stores.
DSN: Mute and Turbine seem like innovative items — can you talk about how they work?
SD: Our technology is designed to prevent nasal valve collapse, by holding the nose open at this location, we can significantly improve nasal airflow. We know that stenting the nose from the inside creates more airflow than pulling the nose open from the outside, creating a better consumer experience and outcome.
Our engineering focused on creating a device that is soft and comfortable, is adjustable and comes in three sizes, so we can find the perfect fit for every nose. This focus on fit and comfort is our differentiator as no two noses are the same.
DSN: Describe the process of how you educate retailers and consumers about the products and technology?
SD: We use our public relations program to educate consumers on why improving nasal breathing is important, particularly while we sleep, but also for general health and well-being. In terms of retailers/pharmacists, we have an in-service program we offer in-store, and later this year, we will be rolling out some CE programs around the role of the upper airway and improving our health.
DSN: What do retailers need to do to maximize sales and profits in terms of merchandising?
SD: We have seen Mute add incremental sales to the categories it is ranged in, and the area of improving sleep is definitely a hot topic with both consumers and retailers. What many people do not recognize is breathing better, particularly through your nose, which can improve sleep quality and reduce snoring, both of which have significant general health benefits. We see real opportunity for retailers to help customers understand why better breathing is important, and we have programs ready to go that can help the merchants capitalize on this heightened interest in improving sleep.
DSN: Any new items in the pipeline? What are they? When will they be available?
SD: Yes, we have two new products in late-stage development, which are extensions of the Mute platform. We are adding an aromatherapy-based decongestant to the Mute device, which will help customers with a cold to decongest and breathe better. We also are adding a sleep onset-promoting formulation, which will help calm and relax customers, assisting them to
fall asleep.
We will be presenting these new innovative lines at NACDS Total Store Expo this month, and they will be available in stores in early 2019.
Shane Duncan, vice president of global sales and marketing, Rhinomed.
Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Rhinomed recently expanded its distribution into a major American pharmacy retailer. Drug Store News caught up with Rhinomed vice president of global sales and marketing Shane Duncan, who discussed the company’s technology and how it can help build sales at retail.
Drug Store News: Tell us about Rhinomed and its history.
Shane Duncan: Rhinomed is a medical technology company with a patented nasal technology platform that seeks to radically improve the way you breathe, sleep, maintain your health and take medication.
In 2016, we launched two revolutionary over-the-counter technologies. They are the Turbine, a nasal dilator designed to assist you to breathe easier during aerobic exercise, and Mute, a nasal technology designed to allow you to radically improve your sleep quality by breathing more and snoring less. Our domestic distribution is now in more than 9,000 stores.
DSN: Mute and Turbine seem like innovative items — can you talk about how they work?
SD: Our technology is designed to prevent nasal valve collapse, by holding the nose open at this location, we can significantly improve nasal airflow. We know that stenting the nose from the inside creates more airflow than pulling the nose open from the outside, creating a better consumer experience and outcome.
Our engineering focused on creating a device that is soft and comfortable, is adjustable and comes in three sizes, so we can find the perfect fit for every nose. This focus on fit and comfort is our differentiator as no two noses are the same.
DSN: Describe the process of how you educate retailers and consumers about the products and technology?
SD: We use our public relations program to educate consumers on why improving nasal breathing is important, particularly while we sleep, but also for general health and well-being. In terms of retailers/pharmacists, we have an in-service program we offer in-store, and later this year, we will be rolling out some CE programs around the role of the upper airway and improving our health.
DSN: What do retailers need to do to maximize sales and profits in terms of merchandising?
SD: We have seen Mute add incremental sales to the categories it is ranged in, and the area of improving sleep is definitely a hot topic with both consumers and retailers. What many people do not recognize is breathing better, particularly through your nose, which can improve sleep quality and reduce snoring, both of which have significant general health benefits. We see real opportunity for retailers to help customers understand why better breathing is important, and we have programs ready to go that can help the merchants capitalize on this heightened interest in improving sleep.
DSN: Any new items in the pipeline? What are they? When will they be available?
SD: Yes, we have two new products in late-stage development, which are extensions of the Mute platform. We are adding an aromatherapy-based decongestant to the Mute device, which will help customers with a cold to decongest and breathe better. We also are adding a sleep onset-promoting formulation, which will help calm and relax customers, assisting them to
fall asleep.
We will be presenting these new innovative lines at NACDS Total Store Expo this month, and they will be available in stores in early 2019.
Shane Duncan, vice president of global sales and marketing, Rhinomed.