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The promise of a bustling men’s market has been around for years. Experts say it’s finally here
Connected to—and trusted by—the communities they serve, regional pharmacies often are able to offer a greater level of care than national chains
Drug Store News’ Retail Excellence Awards recognize manufacturers for innovations in over-the-counter remedies
From period products to lubricants, women are more aware of sustainable offerings
Model Behavior
Retail pharmacies seek to drive growth with emerging care models
“THE FUTURE OF RETAIL PHARMACY IS COMMUNITYCENTRIC.”
— WOLTERS KLUWER HEALTH
As retail pharmacies adapt to major shifts in the healthcare landscape, more outlets are pursuing emerging care models to improve health outcomes but also to drive revenue.
But what does this look like? It depends on the retailer. Many brands are looking at expanded clinical services, such as chronic disease management, medication therapy management and immunizations, while others are forming partnerships with health systems in their regions.
Our cover story this month (page 16) looks at the various care models and the retailers pursuing them and why. In our reporting, we found that pharmacies are increasingly collaborating with primary care providers to provide services, encouraged by the many short-term and long-term benefits of such partnerships.
Pharmacy retailers are focusing on developing care models that emphasize value-based, patient-centered approaches over feefor-service models, which simply focus on volume of services provided, Claire Biermaas, president of corporate partnerships at Cencora, parent of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy network, told our reporter.
“As this shift occurs, we’ll likely see the list of patient care services offered in pharmacies grow, especially in areas that treat patients holistically,” Biermaas said.
It’s hard to say what outcomes will result from these care models, but all parties involved are bullish (especially as everyone waits patiently to see if PBM reform finally passes in the U.S. Congress).
As Wolters Kluwer Health writes on its website: The future of retail pharmacy is community-centric.
“These solutions are designed with the future of the retail pharmacy in mind—equipping pharmacists with evidence-based tools for educating and engaging their local patient population to improve chronic care management, medication adherence, health literacy and outcomes,” the organization said.
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RITE AID TAPS BRYANT HARRIS AS SVP, CHIEF MERCHANDISING OFFICER
Bryant Harris has joined Rite Aid as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer.
Rite Aid said Harris will play a critical role in evolving its merchandising strategy to offer product assortment that meets the changing needs of its customers. “As chief merchandising officer, he will oversee assortment, procurement, pricing, visual merchandising and store design, and work closely with our store operations and marketing teams to deliver customer-centric shopping experiences in the communities we serve,” the retailer said.
“As we continue to strengthen our business and accelerate our transformation plan, we are pleased to welcome Bryant to Rite Aid,” said Matt Schroeder, CEO. “As an accomplished leader driven by excellence, Bryant will be a great addition to the team to help further our mission to provide thoughtful, personalized experiences that support our customers’ health and wellness goals.”
Harris will become a member of the company’s executive leadership team, reporting to Schroeder. Prior to joining Rite Aid, he served as chief merchandising officer at Wakefern Food, where he developed and executed a strategic roadmap that significantly enhanced the company’s merchandising effectiveness and overall performance, Rite Aid said. Harris brings nearly two decades of extensive retail experience driving growth, innovation and operational excellence with notable leadership roles at Save A Lot and Sam’s Club.
“I am excited to join Rite Aid to continue advancing the merchandising strategy that delivers a compelling product mix and a shopping experience that meets our customers’ expectations,” Harris said. “I look forward to collaborating with the team and our suppliers to ensure we provide the products our communities need to live their healthiest life.”
“ As we continue to strengthen our business and accelerate our transformation plan, we are pleased to welcome Bryant to Rite Aid”
- Matt Schroeder, CEO
ALBERTSONS RESTRUCTURES, CONSOLIDATES DIVISIONS
Albertsons is reorganizing its internal structure. Susan Morris, chief operating officer, informed employees of several changes, in an internal memo obtained by BoiseDev., which first reported the news.
Albertsons’ Intermountain division, which includes most of the stores in Idaho, Montana and much of Wyoming will be combined with the Denver division, which includes Colorado and surrounding areas, the report said. At press time, the move had not been completed.
John Colgrove, who currently leads the Intermountain Division, will depart from Albertsons this summer after 47 years with the company.
Todd Broderick, who formerly led the Denver division, retired last year.
The new combined Denver/Intermountain division will be known as the “Mountain West division,” Morris’ memo noted. It will be headed by Brad Street, who currently heads the company’s Seattle operations. Street preceded Colgrove in the Intermountain division position, per the report.
Albertsons will organize itself into East, West and California regions, the report said.
The company promoted and moved around a number of executives with the organizational changes and departures of Broderick and Colgrove, per the report.
An Albertsons spokesperson provided DSN with the following statement:
“As we continue to evolve and enhance our retail operations, a core part of that effort is ensuring our organizational structure properly enables strong local operational excellence across the regions we serve and also leverages our size and scale. As such, we recently made some divisional leadership updates, placing some of our best leaders in new roles and providing new opportunities for our team, as we continue to deliver on our strategy to earn Customers for Life. We are also combining our Intermountain and Denver divisions into a new division called the Mountain West Division, enabling us to operate in new and innovative ways as we serve our customers and communities.” dsn
New and Noteworthy
HRG’s five notable products from February 2 4 1 3 5
After starting the year strong in January, product introductions slowed in February for the first time in three months. In February, suppliers introduced 125 new products, 67 fewer items than they released in January. Waukesha, Wis.-based HRG reviewed 20 products in the health category, 56 items in the wellness sector and 49 products in the beauty aisle to see which ones stood out as Products to Watch.
1. Summer’s Eve Ultimate Odor Protection Whole Body Cream Deodorant Simply Sensitive
Prestige Consumer Healthcare developed Summer’s Eve Ultimate Odor Protection Whole Body Cream Deodorant to control odor, even in intimate areas. Packaging states the invisible cream won’t disrupt the natural intimate area pH range. The brand added that the whole body deodorant is gynecologist- and dermatologisttested and is formulated without aluminum. It comes in a 3-oz. tube.
Anti Dandruff Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner treats dandruff and helps restore the scalp barrier, the brand said. Packaging states the shampoo and conditioner contains 1% pyrithione zinc, three ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to leave hair soft and hydrated. It’s free from sulfates, MIT, parabens and fragrance. One bottle weighs 12 oz.
3. Cystex Menopause Support Concentrated Daily Powder Blend Berry
Cystex Menopause Support Concentrated Daily Powder Blend from Bridges Consumer Products is supercharged with isoflavone to increase estrogen and black cohosh to balance hormone levels, the company said. It also contains probiotics to balance menopause dehydration. Packaging states the powder is fortified with electrolytes and defends against hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. It comes in a 1.8-oz. bottle.
4. Align Probiotic 3-in-1 Biotic Gummy
Procter & Gamble’s Align Probiotic 3-in-1 Biotic gummies provide a triple active formula with pre-, pro- and postbiotics to help nourish the gut. The brand said prebiotics provide good bacteria for digestive health, probiotics soothe occasional bloating and postbiotics help strengthen the immune system. The manufacturer materials also state that the gummies are gluten free and vegetarian. A bottle contains 50 gummies.
5. PinRid Chewable Pinworm Medicine Bubble Gum
PinRid Chewable Pinworm Medicine from Wellspring Medical is full prescription strength. The company’s materials say the convenient chewable tablet contains Pyrantel Pamoate 720.5 mg to treat pinworm, roundworm, hookworm and whipworm. Wellspring said the product offers single dose effectiveness in killing the infection and preventing recurrence. A pack has 6 tablets. dsn
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Speakers at DSN’s Industry Issues Summit discuss community-centric-approach, bringing pharmacy experience to front-end
The 26th annual event, co-hosted with The CPG Guys, featured fireside chats with retail executives sharing their companies’ strategies for success
By Sandy Levy
Afireside chat with Jeff Mondelli, vice president of grocery at Wakefern Foods, titled, “Aligning Values to Drive Growth: Wakefern’s Community-Centric Approach,” was moderated by Nigel Maynard, DSN’s editor-in-chief.
Mondelli began by pointing out that Wakefern Foods is the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, with about 350 to 400 stores across seven banners. “We are comprised of 45 individual families that own and operate these locations,” he said. “The unique thing about us in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic states, is the people in the stores every day have a vested interest in their success. They live in these communities where they provide the service every day.”
Mondelli proceeded to explain how Wakefern relays its value message to its supplier partners. “The way they see value is by providing value and building trust in the communities with our customers. Our core values–integrity, innovation and teamwork–are things we find extremely important. That’s how our supplier partners show up to us and that’s what we should be reflecting back to our partners, the tremendous value between a retailer and a supplier,” he said.
Emphasizing that it’s important to take every community’s values into consideration, Mondelli said, “Our secret sauce is our members. If the owners of these stores are in there seven days a week talking to customers, it’s not enough to say, ‘I have a store in a Hispanic market, let me merchandise appropriately.’ Is it Puerto
Rican, Mexican, Columbian or Peruvian? That level of detail is where you can draw down and understand what your customers are and what they need and how to communicate with them.” When it comes to the programs it launches, Wakefern asks and receives support from many of its best partners. “Through those actions it sends a message to the entire supplier community,” Mondelli said.
A case in point is Wakefern’s Partners in Caring program, aimed at fighting food insecurity. In the last 25 years, the program returned $65 million to local charities across Wakefern’s trade area.
“It’s not just ‘let’s just do this and cut a check,’” Mondelli said. “How do you bring it to life in stores so customers understand that and look forward to it every year? How do you make it so retail associates can engage with it? In this case, we featured winning stores, and a retail associates’ picture on a special run box on Cheerios.”
Another fireside chat titled, “Reimagining Customer Experience in Growth at Walgreens: A Vision for Innovation and Wellness,” was moderated by Sri Rajagopalan, co-founder of The CPG Guys, talking to Bala Visalatha, senior vice president, growth and chief product officer at Walgreens.
Visalatha said Walgreens takes pride in its history and in its customer base . “We look at it the first time the customer gets in touch with us to the time when they want to go back and interact with us and gain confidence being with Walgreens. We look at
ourselves as the agent of the customer. We learn from customers, understand their needs, or go to market and research and find the solutions they need.”
Visalatha cited a personal experience, in which by the time he returned from a dermatology appointment, he received a message from Walgreens that they had received his prescription. “That’s the kind of experience you’re looking for, for your own experience,” he said.
Rajagopalan asked, “How are you thinking about capitalizing that amazing customer experience in pharmacy and bringing it to the front of store?” Visalatha responded, “We operate in just the way we are elevating our pharmacy experience. We are taking an unvarnished look at our retail proposition, which creates significant opportunities for established brands and the new brands. It shows up in terms of my merchant group. They are in constant conversation with many of the suppliers in terms of where we stand, how does a fleet look like, how does the customer base look like, how is it changing, where are we right now and how to flip it to a place where you move away from a lot of stale SKUs to more of a refreshed and more exciting set of SKUs which folks are looking for.”
Emphasizing that when Walgreens says to customers that it is the most convenient place to access all of their pharmacy needs, Visalatha said, it’s no longer just about having a location closest
to your home. “To be able to afford to deliver that convenience we need to build a business model. The business model goes beyond pharmacy, not just because of recent headwinds, but because of the proposition we have. We need to expand beyond the trust we’re building on the pharmacy side into some other categories where we believe trust can further expand into building credibility for the brands to come in and having customers coming into locations or walgreens.com.”
Visalatha cited the immunization experience at Walgreens. “If you google walgreens.com, customers discover when they need to get immunizations. We made it easy for you to take the next step and schedule online, get reminders, add it on your calendar and check in. All of this is happening while the local store has knowledge of all of this. They know how many appointments were made, how many shots they need in stock and do they have the labor to administer the shots?” he said.
Lastly, Visalatha said these experiences build confidence. “When you get into the store we’re making it easy for you to access the items closest to that room where you get the shot, so you can have the customer engage beyond that immunization shot,” he explained. “We are creating a seamless experience for most of the core journeys. More than 90% of the immunization shots Walgreens provides are digitally initiated and more than 70% of the appointment shots are checked in online.” dsn
Spread the Snooze
MINE THE GAPS
Retail pharmacies seek to improve patient outcomes, drive incremental revenue with new care models
By Mark Hamstra
The retail pharmacy industry continues to expand its reach into new models of healthcare, in many cases partnering with payers to monitor and treat patients with specific conditions.
Pharmacies are also increasingly collaborating with primary care providers to provide services. Even though some in-store clinics, such as Walgreens’s acquisition of VillageMD, have not worked out as planned, the core value proposition of incorporating more primary healthcare services into the retail pharmacy remains, said Peter Bonis, chief medical officer at pharmacy solutions provider Wolters Kluwer Health.
“Consumers go to pharmacies for some aspects of their care, raising the question of what other services can be offered sustainably,” he said. “Thus, we can anticipate that ‘chapter two’ of this story may be beginning.”
Amazon and Walmart are exploring new opportunities for focusing on specialized healthcare solutions for certain conditions, for example. Last year, Walmart rolled out an initiative in which 25 of its pharmacies are focused on treating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and plaque psoriasis. Pharmacists will provide specialty services including care coordination, lifestyle recommendations and emotional support services, according to Walmart.
Bonis also noted that the future may be bright for the growth of pharmacies to provide expanded healthcare services, as younger consumers are more open to nontraditional healthcare models than their older counterparts. Wolters Kluwer’s Pharmacy Next survey found that more than half of Gen Z and millennials (56% and 54%, respectively) opted to visit a local pharmacy to receive non-emergency care.
“There’s an opportunity here to break from the past with a fresh take on the primary care experience that is designed with younger generations in mind,” said Bonis.
An emphasis on value-based care
Pharmacy retailers are focusing on developing care models that emphasize value-based, patient-centered approaches
over fee-for-service models, which simply focus on volume of services provided, said Claire Biermaas, president of corporate partnerships at Cencora, parent of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy network. “As this shift occurs, we’ll likely see the list of patient care services offered in pharmacies grow, especially in areas that treat patients holistically,” she said.
In addition to the vaccines and immunizations many pharmacies already provide, these services could include health screenings, nutrition counseling and disease management, for example. In states where pharmacists have a more limited scope of practice and less supportive reimbursement frameworks, there could be a marked increase in collaboration with physicians to enable pharmacists to provide these services, Biermaas said.
“Regardless of the scenario, pharmacists are poised to take a more active role in patient treatment, helping to advance medication adherence and care management between doctor’s appointments,” she said.
State and national legislation that broadens pharmacists’ scope of practice could result in pharmacists playing a more proactive role in overseeing minor conditions, Biermaas said. This could include legislation authorizing pharmacists to test, diagnose, prescribe and treat low-acuity health issues, such as respiratory illnesses, without a physician’s intervention, for example.
“The aim is to establish a robust support system for healthcare providers and patients, relieving the pressure on overburdened physicians and emergency rooms by handling routine conditions and enhancing the speed of service for patients due to the walkin convenience of pharmacies, overall, helping improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs,” Biermaas said.
As these new models of care evolve, technology will play an increasingly important role, Biermaas said. Technology will not only streamline processes to ease the pressures associated with the pharmacist’s expanded role, but it will also leverage existing infrastructure and data to enhance patient care, she said. Patients will be able to learn their medication costs upfront, choose between delivery or pickup, and decide if they prefer a pharmacist consultation during pickup or via phone or video when their medication is delivered, for example.
Pharmacies adopting value-based, patient-centered approaches are also increasingly expanding into holistic patient care services and product categories, she said, citing the trend of expansion into specialty medicines as an example.
“This shift will help enable pharmacists to provide a deeper level of care for patients with complex, chronic conditions that often require advanced therapies and personalized care plans,” said Biermaas.
“Pharmacies are uniquely positioned to deliver these services,” she said. “They have cultivated a deep sense of trust within
their communities and the resulting ability to engage effectively with patients and promote adherence to treatment plans. Their proximity and accessible nature facilitate easier access to medications and services, which is particularly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions requiring frequent and timely healthcare interactions. Further, through their accessibility, pharmacies can help bridge gaps between underserved or hardto-reach patient populations and more specialized healthcare providers.”
Testing and monitoring at Health Mart
McKesson’s Health Mart pharmacies and Health Mart Atlas, a pharmacy service administration organization, have participated with multiple payers in quality-based performance programs, said Crystal Lennartz, president of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas. These programs include adherence monitoring and healthcare gap closures, particularly for statin use in diabetes, blood pressure and A1C control, she said. For many adherence programs, pharmacies are incentivized to have regular conversations with patients to promote adherence. These pharmacies have the opportunity to earn additional bonuses if patients reach specific adherence thresholds, Lennartz said. In the statin use in diabetes program, pharmacies collaborate with providers to ensure patients receive and fill statin prescriptions when recommended, and the pharmacy is incentivized when the patient fills the prescription.
In the blood pressure control programs, pharmacies monitor and document patient blood pressure between provider appointments. Pharmacists also counsel patients on optimizing their medication, and the pharmacies receive incentives for taking and documenting a patient’s blood pressure and earn additional payments if the patients’ blood pressure is maintained within guidelines.
A1C monitoring and control programs focus on long-term blood sugar management. In some programs, pharmacies can perform and document the A1C test, and in other programs the pharmacies refer patients to labs or home testing kits. Pharmacies can receive incentives when patients complete an A1C test and when it remains under control, similar to the blood pressure programs.
Lennartz said Health Mart expects to participate in at least seven of these types of programs in 2025. The company offers its Pharmacy Quality Solutions’ EQUIPP technology platform, now owned by Innovaccer, to its operators to help them take advantage of these programs.
These programs are now moving beyond adherence to focus more on patient outcomes, she said.
In 2023, Health Mart participated in a payer’s Social Determinants of Health pilot program, which allowed Health Mart Atlas pharmacies in underservednareas to screen and connect patients with local community resources. This pilot was Health Mart’s first opportunity to capture SDOH impact data while reimbursing pharmacists for their services, Lennartz said.
Community Health Worker services also can be reimbursed through Medicaid, Medicare and grants, she said, which can generate incremental revenue while at the same time allowing pharmacy staff to expand their roles. In the past two years, McKesson and Health Mart provided more than 150 scholarships for pharmacy technicians to train and earn their CHW certification, Lennartz said.
“We look forward to continued opportunities to impact health equity by expanding access to care and preventative services in underserved communities,” she said.
Another area that is gaining momentum is remote patient monitoring, Lennartz said.“ While there is not yet a clear revenue model for pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy teams can play a meaningful role as care moves closer to home. She also cited the potential for legislation that would expand pharmacists’ scope of practice and thus open up new revenue opportunities.
In addition, Lennartz said Health Mart also has seen success with medical side contracts, including one in Ohio with Medicaid, which allow pharmacies more flexibility to address patient needs, rather than focusing on specific services.
“Surprisingly, the majority of claims were for behavioral health, rather than conditions like diabetes,” said Lennartz. “This highlights that patients with chronic diseases often require comprehensive support beyond just managing their primary condition.”
CPESN advances new revenue channels
At Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Networks, a phar macy-owned network that seeks to identify healthcare gaps and improve patient outcomes, one of the biggest growth opportu nities is working with state Medicaid plans to help improve the health of patients with chronic illnesses, said Cody Clifton, direc tor of practice transformation and clinical programs at CPESN USA. The group is currently working with Medicaid programs in 11 states and eyeing expansion to additional states, he said.
Many of the patients in these programs have two or more chronic conditions that require multiple medications, Clifton said. Conditions can include diseases such as asthma or diabetes as well as behavioral health issues that may require antipsychotic medications, for example. Participating pharmacies are documenting their visits with patients in their workflow to facilitate reimbursement as part of a value-based care platform.
“These pharmacies have been providing a lot of this care already,” said Clifton.
Another opportunity that CPESN is pursuing is a subscriptionbased plan that offers patients access to primary healthcare providers through the pharmacy. That model is still in the early stages, and expansion is contingent in part on navigating state
“We’ll likely see the list of patient care services offered in pharmacies grow, especially in areas that treat patients holistically.”
THRIFTY WHITE BECOMES PART OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE TEAM
Thrifty White, with 90-plus retail pharmacies across several Midwestern states, seeks to become an integral part of the healthcare ecosystem in each of the communities where it operates, said Jeremy Faulks, VP of pharmacy operations, Thrifty White.
The company is focused on streamlining operations, building efficiencies and increasing capacity for its pharmacies to become involved in broader clinical services and patient care activities, he said.
“We understand the importance of providing care as a team and not within a silo in the pharmacy,” he said.
Some of the clinical care initiatives Thrifty White is working on include chronic disease management programs, point-of-care testing, test-to-treat, comprehensive medication management services, immunizations, diabetes self-management education and support and assisting in screening for preventative care gaps such as breast cancer screenings, colonoscopies, kidney health evaluations and others.
To support these efforts, Thrifty White has several initiatives that seek to support the development of pharmacy technicians to be able to work alongside pharmacists to support clinical care activities, he said.
Technology will play a critical role in enhancing the retailer’s ability to deliver highquality care, he said. Thrifty White built its own software platform, PatientRicity, a pharmacy version of an electronic health records platform.
The software supports credentialing with individual payers, documentation of care, billing and data pathways that facilitate interoperability between local providers and health plans, Faulks explained.
Said Faulks, “As reimbursement structures move towards value-based care, we are positioned to play a meaningful role with our infrastructure to enable a different practice model built around the patient, our communities, and to improve health outcomes.”
We’re really pushing most of our pharmacies to have community health workers, because the health plans really see the value of helping to close these gaps.”
– Cody Clifton, director of practice transformation and clinical programs, CPESN USA
legislative and regulatory hurdles, Clifton explained.
Some CPESN pharmacies are also leveraging telehealth solutions to connect patients with primary care providers, he said. These pharmacies are working together with the primary care provider, who is connected to the patient in-store via a remote connection, to address issues such as urgent care needs or to ensure medication continuity if a patient’s primary care provider retires or is otherwise inaccessible, for example.
A key mission of these services is cutting down on emergency room visits, which are typically much more expensive than telehealth visits at a local pharmacy. This makes these programs appealing to payors, Clifton explained.
The addition of community health workers is another significant initiative at CPESN, Clifton said. These workers are tasked with connecting patients with local resources, such as food banks or transportation, to healthcare facilities. “We’re really pushing most of our pharmacies to have community health workers, because the health plans really see the value of helping to close these gaps.” dsn
Men: The Final Frontier
The promise of a bustling men’s market has been around for years, but experts say it is finally here
While young girls were flocking to expensive skin care, Ian Ginsberg, president at C.O. Bigelow Chemists in New York City, noticed something else. “We saw young men shopping for fragrances,” he said.
Ginsberg is not the only one noticing the trend. Piyush Jain, CEO at Maesa, is building out its brands of all ages of men. “There is great interest among men to use products designed exclusively for them. The men’s category is where a lot of growth is coming from.” His company is adding men’s scents to its Fine’ry range, which has been a strong performer, bringing more customers to mass fragrances. “We’ve heard a lot of demand from influencers and our community for men’s products.”
Target commits prime real estate to men’s lines such as Papatui, Harry’s, Bevel, Scotch Porter, Mando, Dr. Squatch, Duke Cannon, Every Man Jack, Native and Old Spice.
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INSIDE
Prospects of a robust men’s market never really reached fruition in the past. Sales have ebbed and flowed. This time men are exposed to social media influencers giving them “permission” to use scents and skin care.
Retailers predict more men’s items are in the works. At the recent Cosmoprof North American Miami exhibition, the team from C.O. Bigelow saw a concentration of new lines for men— especially products in the mass market price range.
Men’s grooming sales last year grew 6% over the year before to topple $57 billion, according to Euromonitor. The rise in interest in men’s personal care, according to Calvin Quallis, founder and CEO of Scotch Porter, is having an impact on how brands think about serving the consumer, especially because social media has a significant effect.
Fragrance is leading the charge. Heightened interest from men, according to Larissa Jensen, SVP, global beauty industry advisor to Circana, made up a third of the fragrance business and grew faster than the overall category in 2024. The addition of Fine’ry for men will deliver on that demand, said Jain.
The investment bank Piper Sandler estimates men’s spending on fragrance increased 26% last year.
The popularity of dupe fragrances ushers in an avenue for mass merchants to get a piece of the men’s fragrance action. Dossier, sold at Walmart, offers its versions of men’s brands including Dior’s Sauvage, Creed’s Aventus and YSL’s L’Homme. The smellalikes smell for a fraction of the originals—mostly under $30.
Walgreens sells the Instyle lineup of high-end dupes, while CVS stocks the Perfect Scents Platinum Collection. Walgreens also embraces the dupe culture with its own versions of skin care.
Men are also getting into skin care, propelled by famous names getting into the game. Papatui from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one brand using a manly image to attract guys. The brand just added eye patches, which can be a gateway to moisturizers and other regimen products.
Walmart has an exclusive line with boxer Jake Paul, which consists of body wash, body spray and deodorant. The prices are all under $10.
Men need a different lineup than women, experts said. Simple and manly are terms that emerge.
The men’s products catching attention, retailers say, are not mimics of women’s. And despite some men wearing makeup and nail polish, mass market male shoppers are drawn to masculine images.
That’s helped brands like Duke Cannon, Every Man Jack and Dr. Squatch. The latter appeals to men with its manly graphics and positioning. To hit the right note with its target audience, the brand tapped actress Sydney Sweeney to introduce its body wash.
The investment bank Piper Sandler estimates men’s spending on fragrance increased 26%
The fragrance brand offers scents for men.
FINE’RY
OKAY PURE NATURALS
Curls Conditioner
Dr. Squatch is in line with the “better for you” ingredients young guys seek, according to the brand. Dr. Squatch focuses on ensuring its products are 98% natural, according to John Ludeke, VP of marketing.
Duke Cannon is all in on macho messaging with product names like Big Ass Brick of Soap.
JBScrub, created by actress Julie Bowen and beauty executive Jill Biren, was designed specifically for young boys. According to Biren, many of the skin care items on the market were more feminine in appearance.
With younger men on board, marketers also expect a halo effect on older men.
“We continue to see opportunities in men’s grooming. We are developing a men’s line for introduction at the end of Q1 2025,” said Deborah Dixon, owner of Precious Mineralz. “It will be a limited line of products that make skin care grooming easy and simple for men, especially mature men.”
Hair care marketers also make a pitch for why men need their own brands in the shower.
Juan Morillo at Okay Pure Naturals said the brand addresses the needs of men with curls or waves. “Finding the right products has been a challenge, but that’s changing,” he said.
“Products like Okay Men’s Curls & Waves collection are designed just for men who want to show off their natural texture. Right now, there’s a huge movement toward embracing natural hair, and this product line is perfect for guys who want to keep their curls looking soft, defined and frizz-free without a ton of effort.”
He added that men’s hair care is driven by using the right products to match individual needs. “More men are realizing that textured hair needs special care, and brands like Okay are stepping up to meet that demand,” he said of the new lineup that makes it easy to manage curls. Okay’s Men’s Curls and Waves collection includes shampoo, conditioner, mousse and styling creams.
Continue to full story online
Local and Accessible
Connected to—and trusted by—their communities, regional pharmacies often are able to offer a greater level of care than national chains
By Kathie Canning
It’s no secret that Walgreens, CVS Health and Rite Aid are struggling. After all, news outlets across America have shared the recent woes of the “big three” U.S. national chain pharmacies, including prescription-reimbursement declines, rising costs, online competition, store closings and employee layoffs.
U.S. regional chain pharmacies, meanwhile, appear to be better positioned to weather the storms.
Connected to their communities
One advantage that regional chain pharmacies have over national chains is the ability to provide a greater level of care, said Lara Knudsen, vice president of program operations with Conshohocken, Pa.-based Good Neighbor Pharmacy, a national franchise network for independent pharmacies that includes regional chains.
“These smaller chains often provide personalized care, with pharmacists, staff and owners sitting on PTA boards with their
patients or coaching their children’s soccer teams,” Knudsen pointed out. “Knowing their patients and families personally enhances trust and care continuity.”
Speaking of trust, it is a key driver when it comes to consumer loyalty, said Jacqueline Flam, senior vice president, drug and OTC retail with Chicago-headquartered consumer-intelligence firm NielsenIQ.
“Smaller, more regional chains typically have a concentrated geographical footprint and strong community connectivity, increasing their credibility and local resonance,” she noted. “In an environment where there is greater mistrust of corporate America and mainstream medicine and large chains, regional chains have a distinct advantage to leverage and message.”
Flam singled out Kinney Drug, a regional chain with 90-plus locations in upstate New York, as a fitting example of a trusted, connected operator. “Kinney is over 100 years old and 100% employee-owned,” she noted. “Kinney over-indexes across all income levels and offers robust pharmacy services to meet the needs of their largely countryside shoppers.”
Product Knowledge
Advocate for You Responsiveness
Likeable and Trusting
Regional chain pharmacies are also able to build engagement and loyalty by participating in community events and taking advantage of local volunteer opportunities, Brewer noted.
For example, Fruth Pharmacy, a chain based in Nitro, W.V., recently donated items to the West Virginia Center for Threat Preparedness to assist residents and first responders in flood-stricken areas. The donated items, Fruth Pharmacy said, included COVID-19 tests, alcohol, syringes, personal protection items such as masks and gloves and cleaning supplies.
“These essential supplies will make a meaningful difference in the recovery efforts and bring hope and comfort to individuals and families who are facing unimaginable challenges,” said Lynne Fruth, president and chair.
Regional chain pharmacies distinguish themselves from the competition by providing outstanding customer service, too, added Pete Ratycz, senior vice president of pharmacy for Discount Drug Mart, Medina, Ohio. “We typically know our patients better, which enables us to make their experience unique, superior and personalized,” he said.
Because they are in tune with their communities, regional chains also tend to have a better understanding of regional patient needs, said Tiffany Brewer, senior director, global industry strategy for Blue Yonder, a supply-chain management company based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Therefore, they are able to optimize the pharmacy inventory and the overall store assortment to reduce the shortage/out-of-stock issues that are prevalent among the national chains.
Less complex, more agile
Regional chains also have managed to dodge much of the “operational complexity” the national chains have created in recent years, said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical at Placer.ai, a location-analytics software provider. That reality allows them to focus more effectively on optimizing the customer experience.
“Unlike national chains, regional players are not confined by inflexible company standards, enabling them to adjust their operations, products and services to meet the specific needs of their customers,” added Onisis Stefas, Pharm.D., CEO of Vivo Health Pharmacy. Owned by New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, Vivo Health Pharmacy is a specialty pharmacy chain conveniently located to many Northwell Health hospitals.
That reduced complexity means regional chains are more agile than their national chain counterparts, too. As a result, they are able to adapt or react quickly to “incoming headwinds” across the industry, Ratycz explained. “That’s key since we know today’s pharmacy environment is always evolving,” he explained.
And as the role of pharmacists expands beyond medicine dispensing, regional chain pharmacies are becoming especially agile in growing their services to meet broader public-health and patient needs and demands, Knudsen pointed out. Much of this expansion can be seen within the vaccination arena.
“Beyond vaccines, pharmacists have also shown they can address other gaps in medical care, consultation and education for various
Smaller, more regional chains typically have a concentrated geographical footprint and strong community connectivity, increasing their credibility and local resonance.”
— Jacqueline Flam, senior vice president, drug and OTC retail, NielsenIQ
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A Few Aches and Pains
Despite their many advantages over the national chains, regional chain pharmacies do face some challenges. For example, while baby boomer (and older) consumers still account for a sizable portion of sales, they are no longer contributing to growth at brick-and-mortar locations, said Jacqueline Flam, senior vice president, drug and OTC retail with consumer-intelligence firm NielsenIQ.
“In-store retailers, large and regional alike, must win with millennials and Gen Zs, requiring tweaks to assortments, services and technology that many regional chains are slow to make,” she noted.
Creating an effective online presence “to meet patients where they are” is also difficult for regional chain pharmacies with limited resources, said Lara Knudsen, vice president of program operations with Conshohocken, Pa.-based Good Neighbor Pharmacy. Recognizing the issue, Good Neighbor Pharmacy helps its members enhance their digital presence, automate communications and “effectively engage with customers in the path-to-purchase for pharmacyrelated products and services, even before they leave their homes,” she said.
Limited resources also can thwart the development of new programs and initiatives, said Onisis Stefas, Pharm.D., CEO of Vivo Health Pharmacy, part of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health.
“This often leads to low risk tolerance, as there is a fear of failure and the perception of wasted resources,” he noted. “However, at Vivo Health Pharmacy, we benefit from being part of a larger health system, Northwell Health. This support mitigates resource constraints and enables us to innovate and take risks, leveraging our regional presence to capitalize on business growth opportunities.”
Like their national chain counterparts, regional chains face staffing shortages and reimbursement pressure from pharmacy benefit managers, explained Tom Utech, CEO of iA, a pharmacy fulfillment company.
In comparison to their national counterparts, regional chains often have less buying power, too, and end up with inferior contract rates from third parties, added Pete Ratycz, senior vice president of pharmacy for Discount Drug Mart, Medina, Ohio.
“Reimbursement reform is essential,” he stressed. “We need to make sure we can continue to provide that level of service and care that made us successful and that our patients expect.”
health conditions,” she noted. “For example, a small-town Good Neighbor pharmacy in North Carolina has successfully integrated Diabetes Self-Management Education [DSME] services.”
Those services, Knudsen explained, boast personalized consultations, medication management consultations (for a fee) and group classes tied to diabetes management. In addition, they include regular monitoring of glucose levels, weight, blood pressure and more. “By incorporating wellness and lifestyle changes into diabetes education, they offer a holistic health focus and a comprehensive approach to patient care,” she said.
More agility also is creating opportunities for innovation. For example, many regional chain pharmacies are successfully implementing technology to help decrease total dispensing costs, said Tom Utech, CEO of Indianapolis-headquartered iA, a pharmacy fulfillment company.
“This enables pharmacies to have more time to adapt to patient needs more directly,” he noted, “whether through expanding clinical services, offering specialized products or building community relationships.”
Location matters
Location is yet another regional-chain advantage, Hottovy noted. “The ongoing migration of consumers from large urban areas to suburban and rural markets, where regional chains often have a strong presence, has further supported their stability,” he said.
Strong external and internal relationships are a regional-chain strong suit, too, Ratycz suggested.
“Because Discount Drug Mart is located in Ohio exclusively, we are able to forge partnerships with other Ohio-based companies in ways that national companies may not,” he pointed out. “Regional operators often know their employees better. The majority of our leadership, for example, learned and grew within the company through various roles, allowing them to amass a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience.”
Finally, regional chain pharmacies are adept at reaching underserved patient populations, Knudsen said. For example, Cencora, Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s parent organization, recently worked with the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, the U.S. Census/American Community Survey and the CDC Social Vulnerability Index to evaluate the reach of Good Neighbor pharmacies into socially vulnerable communities.
The assessment revealed that 20% of the stores either directly serve or are adjacent to pharmacy desserts, Knudsen said. In addition, it found that 95.3 million U.S. households are within reach of one of the stores, and 20 million of those households reside in lowpharmacy-access areas. dsn
31,200
REX Awards: OTC Products
Drug Store News ’ Retail Excellence Awards recognize manufacturers for innovations in over-the-counter remedies
By Nora Caley
POTC REX 2025
eople are losing sleep, feeling sore and seeking calmness. Manufacturers are ready to help with innovative over-the-counter products. They are developing new formulas, delivery systems and more to meet the needs of consumers trying to alleviate various maladies.
Pain and its effects are key drivers of innovation in OTC drugs, according to a Mintel report, A Year of Innovation in OTC Medications 2024. The report noted that 50% of U.S. adults who experience pain said they would be interested in trying pain products with calming ingredients, and 40% of U.S. adults who have struggled with sleep said pain has kept them from falling or staying asleep.
Here are this year’s winners of DSN’s REX Awards – OTC products.
Bausch + Lomb
In 2023, global eye health company Bausch + Lomb acquired the Blink brand of eye and contact lens drops from Johnson & Johnson Vision. The lineup includes Blink Triple Care OTC eye drops with hyaluronate and a nano-emulsion lipid. In 2024 Bausch + Lomb focused on dry eyes. Bausch + Lomb supported the relaunch of Blink eye drops with TV and digital advertising, social media, paid search and retail initiatives like in-store signage, displays, sampling and coupons. Bausch + Lomb introduced Blink NutriTears, a nutritional supplement that has lutein. The brand said it promotes healthy tear production and provides noticeable relief of symptoms in as little as two to four weeks.
Bayer Consumer Health
Bayer’s Consumer Health division offers a wide range of self-care products across six key categories in the United States: Upper Respiratory (Alka-Seltzer Plus, Astepro, Afrin, Coricidin and Claritin); Digestive Health (Alka-Seltzer, MiraLAX, Iberogast and Philips); Nutritionals (One A Day, Flintstone’s and Citracal); Pain/Cardio (Aleve, Aspirin and Midol) and Dermatology (Lotrimin and Tinactin). The company has successfully converted prescription to over-the-counter products, which increases access to clinically proven solutions for consumers. “The inspiration for our innovation stems from Bayer’s overarching mission of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none,’” said Dave Tomasi, president, consumer health, North America at Bayer.
Clavél Corporation
Clavél Corporation makes topical solutions for scar treatment and for pain relief. Founder Dr. David Halbert set out to develop a scar cream decades ago when his young son had multiple surgeries after a car accident. The surgeon eventually developed ScarSof and gave the cream to his patients, and in 1992 launched the company, Clavél Corporation, with his wife, Dee. In 2002, Clavél launched Blue Stop Max topical pain relief, which is available as a cream, in a pump and a massaging applicator. The newest product contains 4% lidocaine and 1% menthol, and comes in a roll-on applicator for a non-pill solution for pain.
Doctor Easy
Doctor Easy Medical Products launched the spray ear wash category when it introduced the Elephant Ear Washer, in 1997. The product was designed by a doctor who saw a need for a better method of treating patients’ ear wax impactions. A few years ago the company launched an at-home version, with WaxRx Ear Wash System. Last year Doctor Easy expanded its offerings, introducing the WaxRx Wireless Ear Camera, WaxRx Ear Wax Removal Aid Drops and EarAcheRx Pain Relieving Drops. “We’ve remained focused on manufacturing and distributing great ear care products to both the clinical setting, and since 2016, to the retail market,” said Marsha Garcia, president.
Kenvue
Kenvue brands include Aveeno, Band-Aid Brand, Johnson’s, Listerine, Neutrogena and Tylenol. Pain relief is a big issue these days, but research has indicated that one in three people is averse to swallowing pills. As a result, Tylenol launched Easy to Swallow Caplets, featuring Gentleglide Coating Technology. Other innovations in 2024 include Motrin Dual Action with Tylenol, a two-in-one pain reliever that combines the active ingredients of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and Tylenol Precise, a family of topical options that provide targeted pain relief. In addition to launching products, Tylenol worked to educate the public on safely using OTC medication. The brand grew its partnership with Young Minds Inspired, which works to educate youth in grades 5-8 about OTC medicine safety. The brand also partnered with the National Council on Aging to create a six-week peer support program for older adults focused on effective pain management.
Natrol
Natrol develops supplements for five health areas: sleep, immunity, brain health, mood and stress, and beauty. Last year, Natrol launched Time Release Melatonin gummies that provide immediate release to fall asleep and extended-release technology to help minimize wakeups. Natrol also offers Cognium Complete gummies to support brain function, improve memory and recall in healthy adults and energize the brain, while Cognium Complete capsules boost brain health function, improve memory and recall.
Okamoto U.S.A.
Known for its Wink condoms, Okamoto U.S.A. also makes BodiHeat pain relieving patches. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 52 million people experience chronic pain. While chronic pain is defined as pain lasting more than three months, there are also many consumers who feel pain sporadically. Analgesics are popular, Carrozza said, but for various reasons consumers are seeking non-pill, topical solutions. BodiHeat pain relieving heat pads can be applied onto the user’s clothing, so the patch is not directly on the skin, a plus for people with thin or sensitive skin. The patches are not medicated, so they don’t have the odor that some consumers don’t like. dsn
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Change Agents
From period products to lubricants, women are more aware of sustainable offerings
By Amanda Baltazar
Feminine hygiene products have come a long way. There are now multiple ways for women to take care of their period and their intimate health; and there are an array of companies offering other products—from menstrual cups to lubricants. There’s also a growing interest in responsibility in this category—to women’s health, to sustainability and to helping all women have what they need.
Caring for the environment
Rachael Newton launched Nixit (Toronto, Canada), aiming to reduce period waste. Nixit offers menstrual cups, a wash and wipes. She’d been horrified, she said, to learn that a woman uses 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, and these take 500 years to degrade in a landfill. She started selling her products online and created a brand “that was bold and bright and empowering.” She was
“One in three American women suffer from period poverty and it’s the number one reason girls miss school. I wanted to do something impactful.”
— Nikita Parmar, managing director/owner, Bodyform USA
determined to have no plastic in the packaging, too.
So far, Nixit products are available in Whole Foods, Mother’s Market and grocery chains such as Harmons and Haggen. Newton, however, would like to bring the menstrual cup to the mainstream. “I would love to see them in stores like Target where you would hope people are ready, but I’m not sure they are.”
Nixit also works with several charities, including Twelve Donations, which provides free menstrual products to people who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+ or from marginalized groups.
Addressing period poverty
Nikita Parmar launched Bodyform in October 2023 with a focus on premium period products at an accessible price. Packs of pads retail for under $2.
“One in three American women suffer from period poverty and it’s the number one reason girls miss school,” said Parmar, managing director/owner of Bodyform USA. “I wanted to do something impactful.”
When she established the woman-owned company, she planned to make donations but realized she could make a bigger impact offering high-performance pads at a low price.
Bodyform offers pads, panty liners and disposable period underwear. The company’s goal is to cover every stage of a woman’s period so for less than $5 she can buy everything she needs for the month.
Bodyform also has cardboard dispensers that hold 50 pads for use in institutions that provide these products for free. Parmar hopes to increase accessibility to free period products in bathrooms, starting with school systems—they’re already available in some school districts in New Jersey—and other institutions, including jails.
Organic and natural
Lubricants are 60% of business for Good Clean Love, and Almost Naked and BioNude are its best-sellers. It also has a Changing Phases line to help women at different parts of their lives including post-partum and menopause. Products include Relief Gel for vaginal dryness, itching and irritation. These can be used instead of prescription products.
OrganiCare has been focused on women’s health since 2019, and the Austin, Texas-based company sells products for women’s health under the FemiClear brand. The product treats bacterial vaginosis, followed by one for genital herpes, which can prevent outbreaks and lower the duration for outbreaks that happen.
“These conditions are desperately crying out for attention,” said CEO Caroline Goodner. “Bacterial vaginosis is poorly treated by everything, including the prescriptions. If you don’t have to use an antibiotic you shouldn’t and FemiClear offers a choice that’s even more efficacious.”
Both of these brands draw women looking for clean ingredients.
“Better-for-you options are becoming more mainstream in sexual wellness and feminine hygiene,” said Mary Jo Rivzi, Good Clean Love’s vice president of sales.
Continue to full story online
“Better-for-you options are becoming more mainstream in sexual wellness and feminine hygiene.”
— Mary Jo Rivzi, vice president of sales, Good Clean Love
Good Clean Love
The Almost Naked lubricant is one of the brand’s best-sellers.
Nixit
Nixit offers menstrual cups, a wash and wipes.
Shining a Light on Wellness
Retailers are enhancing their wellness strategies as consumers adopt more personalized approaches
By David Orgel
Grocery and drug store retailers are unveiling a wider range of strategies to ensure that wellness offerings are robust and prominent across their stores.
These include introducing new wellness-focused products; hosting special wellness events; and pursuing health-related marketing and outreach. These are smart initiatives that can boost customer loyalty and build competitive advantage at a time when consumers are taking more individualized approaches to their health.
Target is a prime example of retailers adding wellness products. The company is set to unveil more than 2,000 new items across multiple categories, including beauty, nutrition and nonalcoholic beverages.
An important goal for Target is to make wellness options visible across the store, from a “wellness experience” upfront to prominent displays everywhere. Online shoppers will be able to take advantage of personalized product recommendations related to wellness. Also notable about Target’s program is its value focus—with more than half of new items selling for less than $10. Some retailers are emphasizing
David Orgel is an award-winning business journalist, industry expert and speaker. He is currently the principal of David Orgel Consulting, delivering strategic content and counsel to the food, retail and CPG industries.
special events to introduce wellness opportunities to consumers. Walmart is sponsoring a Wellness Day series that enables shoppers to obtain health screenings and immunizations at pharmacies, with some stores offering giveaways and product demonstrations. Health screenings include those for glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure.
United Supermarkets, meanwhile, is hosting its 28-Day Wellness Challenge campaign, a program introduced last year, which features interactive games and actions tied to customer loyalty accounts. The campaign is aimed at helping guests make progress on their health journeys and was created by the retailer’s registered dietitian. Each completed activity enters a customer into the campaign’s $500 grand prize.
Retailers are collaborating with suppliers to develop their wellness efforts, with Sprouts Farmers Market as a key example, according to an article in Store Brands, which named Sprouts Retailer of the Year.
Sprouts has been working with suppliers to develop better-for-you items under its own brand. Much of the retailer’s focus is on attribute-based
products in segments such as organic, gluten-free and plant-based. The retailer said this strategy is an important differentiator for the company. Even the most robust wellness strategies can fall short without strong messaging. This year the National Association of Chain Drug Stores is showcasing a social media campaign that spotlights the vital role of pharmacies and pharmacists when it comes to personalized and preventive care.
“Health Starts Here in 2025,” showcases NACDS member pharmacies and their commitments to total health and wellness solutions. The campaign is being conducted on social platforms with the official hashtag, #NourishMyHealth. The wellness strategies outlined here are on target for consumer needs, but retailers will need to further evolve these programs based on customer feedback and measures such as health outcomes, sales and shopper loyalty.
It’s important to point out the unique nature of these efforts. Each retailer is offering its special take on supporting wellness that is targeted to its own customer base—an ideal way to shine a line on the subject. dsn
Keeping people healthy shouldn’t make the planet sick.
Making affordable medicines for good health shouldn’t harm the environment. At Dr. Reddy’s, our commitment to the planet lies at the heart of all that we do. We manage our manufacturing and business activities within a sustainable framework: from zero liquid discharge and zero hazardous waste to landfill initiatives, to reducing packaging, green chemistry, and process innovation. Minimizing the environmental impact of our business operations is our top priority because Good Health Can’t Wait.
