Chain Drug Review articles from January 2004

Chain Drug Review archives from January 2004

NACDS is named chain drug review retailer of year.(CDR Retailer of the Year)(National Association of Chain Drug Stores )
January 5, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- For its unparalleled industry service and advocacy over the course of its 70-year history, the editors of Chain Drug Review have named the National Association of Chain Drug Stores the Retail Association of the Year for 2003....

Levin cited for industry leadership.(CDR Sheldon W. Fantle Leadership Award)(Alan Levin, chairman and chief executive officer of Happy Harry's Inc)
January 5, 2004... NEWARK, Del.--Giving back. Those two words perhaps best define the philosophy and principles of Alan Levin, chairman and chief executive officer of Happy Harry's Inc. The description is applicable whether it is used to characterize...

Griffin honored for exemplary service.(CDR Sheldon W. Fantle Leadership Award)
January 5, 2004... SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Nearly two decades ago Mark Griffin developed a yearning to get a grasp of the big picture. As the head of a small chain of drug stores in one of America's least-populated states, no one could blame Griffin for...

Retail loser in Medicare reform bill. (community pharmacy).(News Analysis)
January 5, 2004... It's time to face reality. Community pharmacy is the big loser in the newly passed prescription drug benefit addition to Medicare. That's the cold, bald truth of the matter, regardless of how the various constituencies claiming to serve...

Flu, not Xmas, boosts December sales.(Christmas business)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Viewed any way, the Christmas selling season just ended was a huge disappointment for America's chain drug retailers. Indeed, were it not for the nationwide flu epidemic and the resultant boom in prescription drug sales, the...

Albertsons an advocate for retail Rx.
January 5, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Community pharmacy's efforts to shape the Medicare prescription drug benefit are far from over, according to Kevin Tripp, executive vice president of drug operations and pharmacy at Albertsons Inc. "We have a lot of...

IRI fostering 'reinvention of CPG'.(Information Resources Inc., consumer packaged goods)
January 5, 2004... CHICAGO -- The consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail industries must change their present course, maintains the new owner of Information Resources Inc. (IRI). Otherwise, declares Romesh Wadhwani, founder and managing partner of Symphony...

HHS gets down to work on drug discount card.(US Department of Health and Human Services)
January 5, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Just days after President Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act into law last month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan to enroll eligible seniors in a discount...

Duane Reade goes private in acquisition.(to be acquired by a private equity group and the chain's management)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Duane Reade Inc. has agreed to be acquired by a private equity group and the chain's management for about $415 million. An affiliate of Oak Hill Capital Partners L.P. will pay $17 per share for the chain drug retailer, a premium...

Retail Alert Network to help combat crime.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- In an effort to stem the tide of retail crime, three organizations have formed the Retail Alert Network (RAN). Developed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Cap Index and ChainDrugStore.net, RAN is an...

Drugstore.com to fulfill H&BA orders for Amazon.
January 5, 2004... BELLEVUE, Wash. -- On-line retailers drugstore.com and Amazon.com inked a deal last month that will make drugstore.com a wholesaler and fulfillment provider for some of the products sold through Amazon's new health and personal care store. ...

Eckerd in N.Y.C.(Eckerd Corp., New York, New York)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... With Eckerd Corp. rebranding its Genovese units in the New York City area, shoppers are finding a new name on their neighborhood drug stores. Among the outlets getting a name change and face-lift is an outlet in the Greenpoint section of...

CMS appoints Smith acting administrator.(Dennis Smith selected as acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
January 5, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Dennis Smith has been selected as acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Smith fills the position left vacant by the resignation of Tom Scully, who last month joined Alston & Bird, a...

Albertsons stock plan.(board of directors renewed program authorizing store operator to repurchase up to $500 million of its common stock )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... BOISE, Idaho -- The board of directors at Albertsons Inc. has renewed a program authorizing the supermarket, drug and food/drug combination store operator to repurchase up to $500 million of the company's common stock by the end of the year....

NACDS offers insights on combating counterfeit drugs.(National Association of Chain Drug Stores )
January 5, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As the Food and Drug Administration continues to explore the consequences that counterfeit drugs can have on the nation's health care system, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Leadership Council has weighed in,...

Asserting pharmacy care's value.
January 5, 2004... ARLINGTON, Va. -- It is time for pharmacists to take their rightful place as key providers of high-value health care, speakers declared here at a conference on community pharmacist interventions. Community pharmacists' abilities, while...

Pharmaca raises money to help fight blindness.(Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... BOULDER, Colo. -- A year after participating in what it says was a successful donation program with Doctors Without Borders, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy raised money for children with failing eyesight this holiday season by matching donations...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 5, 2004... A chart outlining a decade of transition at Walgreen Co. that appeared in the December 15 issue of Chain Drug Review misstated the number of stores the drug chain operated in 1993. The correct number is 1,836.

Chain Drug execs look ahead.(Retail Forecast '04)
January 5, 2004... MARK GRIFFIN PRESIDENT, CEO LEWIS DRUGS Undoubtedly the biggest issue facing the chain drag industry in 2004 is going to be the Bush administration's plan for Medicare and how it affects community pharmacies across the country....

Maybelline New York.(Supplier News)(new name of Maybelline)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Maybelline has brought in the new year by officially changing its name to Maybelline New York. "Maybelline New York takes everything that the brand is today--its size, its color, its success--and injects those New York elements...

Scott's Liquid Gold Inc. received the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program Merit Award for excellence in its safety and health program.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Scott's Liquid Gold Inc. received the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program Merit Award for excellence in its safety and health program. The maker of Scott's Liquid Gold wood preservative is one of six...

The new year brings new products from Revlon.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc. is ringing in 2004 with a plethora of new products. Super Lustrous lip gloss contains light-reflecting spheres that give it a brilliant high shine and luminosity, according to a spokeswoman for the supplier. Each of...

Dial buy to raise Henkel's profile in America.(Supplier News)(Henkel Group will buy Dial Corp)
January 5, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Germany's Henkel Group will buy Dial Corp. for $2.9 billion in an all-cash deal that will boost Henkel's North American holdings and consumer products lineup. Worth approximately $28.75 per share of Dial stock, the deal...

Revlon moves to bolster finances.(Supplier News)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc. is looking at ways to strengthen its balance sheet and may issue additional common stock or debt securities in exchange for cash or old debt. The cosmetics and beauty care supplier's board has also approved $125...

Caboodles Cosmetics sold by Plano Molding.(Supplier News)(to Caboodles' acting chief executive officer Charles Beech in conjunction with private investment group Pittco Capital Partners)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... PLANO, Ill. -- Caboodles Cosmetics, a division of Plano Molding Co., has been sold to Caboodles' acting chief executive officer Charles Beech in conjunction with the private investment group Pittco Capital Partners. Beech was named in May...

P&G touts cosmetics technology.(Supplier News)(Procter & Gamble Co. will launch two innovative cosmetics products for face and eyes under Cover Girl brand)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- In February Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) will launch two innovative cosmetics products for face and eyes under the Cover Girl brand. The advanced color-matching technology of TruBlend makeup adjusts to the tones of the...

Seminar casts light on obesity epidemic.(Supplier News)
January 5, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Retailers across the country are employing innovative strategies that help customers concerned with their weight make proper nutritional product selections. In the process, the merchants are improving their position as...

P&G shifts beauty execs.(Supplier News)(Procter & Gamble Co. realigned key executives in its worldwide beauty care business)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) has realigned key executives in its worldwide beauty care business. Marc Pritchard, formerly president of global cosmetics and personal care, has been named president of global cosmetics,...

Unilever, Almar ink licensing deal.(Supplier News)(Unilever Home & Personal Care USA and Almar Sales Co. team up to launch line of hair accessory products under a five-year licensing agreement)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... GREENWICH, Conn. -- Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, maker of the Suave hair care brand, and Almar Sales Co. have teamed up to launch a line of hair accessory products under a five-year licensing agreement that allows Almar to use the Suave...

Kraft ends experiment with dual chief execs.(Supplier News)(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... CHICAGO -- Kraft Foods Inc. has removed Betsy Holden as cochief executive officer, demoting her to an unspecified global marketing position. Cochief executive officer Roger Deromedi was left in charge as the food supplier's sole chief...

Kroger profits plummet 56.7% in third quarter.(Business)
January 5, 2004... CINCINNATI -- Stung by labor strikes in southern California and West Virginia, Kroger Co. experienced a sharp drop in profits during the third quarter. With no end to the West Coast dispute in sight, the company withdrew all earnings guidance...

Pathmark operating results improve.(Business)(Pathmark Stores Inc.)
January 5, 2004... CARTERET, N.J. -- An improved operating performance and modest sales growth enabled Pathmark Stores Inc. to move into the black before the effects of a onetime charge related to early debt extinguishment during the third quarter of fiscal 2003....

Calif. strike takes a toll on Albertsons.(Business)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... BOISE, Idaho -- Hobbled by the southern California strike that has also shriveled the bottom lines of its two main competitors in the supermarket field, Albertsons Inc. saw net income for the third quarter plummet by more than 50%. Net...

Chain drug suppliers see profit downturn.(Business)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Reflecting significant bottom-line reversals at two companies, major manufacturers of core drug store merchandise collectively registered a 7.6% downturn in third quarter earnings from continuing operations despite a 13.3% jump in...

Supplier sales and earnings: 3rd quarter 2003 *.(Business)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Supplier sales and earnings: 3rd quarter 2003 * Sales % Net earnings (add 000) change (add 000) Abbott Laboratories (1) $4,845,881 +11.6 ...

Despite blemishes, NACDS is industry's hub. (National Association of Chain Drug Stores).(My Turn)(Column)
January 5, 2004... This issue of Chain Drug Review is our Retailer of the Year issue, our annual recognition of that industry person whose impact on chain drug retailing dwarfed all others. This year, for the first time in our publication's 25-year history,...

Responding to Medicare Rx discount cards.(My Turn)(Column)
January 5, 2004... The drug discount cards so long and bitterly opposed by community pharmacy will soon become a reality. Enacted as part of the Medicare reform bill signed into law by President Bush last month, the cards are intended to serve as an interim...

Drug chains stay in the game: in a landscape reshaped by the might of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. drug chains are holding their ground. While Wal-Mart has marginalized food retailers in the over-the-counter drug market, chain drug stores are maintaining their share.(Over-The-Counter Drug Report)
January 5, 2004... CDR Special Report--What began as an aberration has become a way of life in retail sales of proprietary drugs: They are dominated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to an extent undreamed of a decade ago, when chain drug stores and supermarkets battled...

Wal-Mart factor weighs heavy in tracking H&BA sales.(Over-The-Counter Drug Report)
January 5, 2004... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- When Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opted more than a year ago to stop sharing its sales figures with the major data-capturing houses, it created a huge impediment to researchers' efforts to allocate sales and market share figures...

Switches continue to be driving force in O-T-Cs.(Over-The-Counter Drug Report)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- Community pharmacy chains will keep a close eye on the Food and Drug Administration this year as it mulls potential switches of prescription products to over-the-counter status. Retailers recognize that the sales volume of such...

Demand surges in face of flu epidemic.(Over-The-Counter Drug Report)
January 5, 2004... NEW YORK -- With the flu raging and the vaccine in short supply chain drug retailers across the country have seen a surge in sales of over-the-counter remedies. Walgreen Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are among the companies that reported...

Morning-after pill gets nod from FDA advisory committees.(Over-The-Counter Drug Report)(Barr Research's Barr Laboratories Inc)
January 5, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- A pair of advisory committees to the Food and Drug Administration recommended last month that the so-called morning-after pill to prevent unwanted pregnancies be sold over the counter. The 23-to-4 vote by the panels...

Total U.S. H&BA sales by dollars.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Total U.S. H&BA sales by dollars For the 52 weeks ended November 2, 2003 TOTAL FOOD/DRUG/DISCOUNT EXCEPT WAL-MART ...

Total U.S. H&BA sales by units.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Total U.S. H&BA sales by units For the 52 weeks ended November 2, 2003 TOTAL FOOD/DRUG/DISCOUNT EXCEPT WAL-MART ...

IRI's H&BA subcategories--pricing & % dollars by merchandising type by outlet *. (Information Resources Inc., health and beauty aids).(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(over the counter)
January 5, 2004... IRI's H&BA subcategories--pricing & % dollars by merchandising type by outlet * Avg. price Avg. price per unit ...

Acne treatments.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers in Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ACNE TREATMENTS have long been a cornerstone of the therapeutic skin care segment and this past year was no exception. Showing their strongest growth in years, products aimed at fighting blemishes, blackheads and pimples continue to be strong...

Adult incontinence products.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers in Key Categories)(Sales and market share data)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ADULT INCONTINENCE products continue to be in demand as a growing number of Americans enter their senior years. Because of drug stores' inherent nature as health care outlets, the trade class has found the category helpful in attracting...

Antacid liquids / powders.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers in Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ANTACID LIQUIDS and POWDERS, a category long dominated by a handful of established brands, slipped again last year, as consumers looking for relief from heartburn and indigestion continued to turn to medications in other forms. While much...

Antacid tablets.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ANTACID TABLET sales enjoyed a slight uptick in 2003, mainly due to the addition of a blockbuster product to the category in the latter part of the year. When the Food and Drug Administration agreed to switch AstraZeneca's Prilosec from...

Baby ointments/creams.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... BABY OINTMENT and CREAM sales and the types of products showing up on store shelves continue to follow the direction of the skin care category as a whole. With skin care becoming a more important part of adults' daily routine, parents are...

Baby powder.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(sales)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... BABY POWDER continues to be somewhat of an enigma for chain drug store operators and other retailers. There are more children being born in the United States and Canada every year, but, unlike sales in so many other infant-related product...

Baby wipes.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... BABY WIPE sales have benefited over the past few years from the country's rising birth rate. That phenomenon, however, appears to be over. For the second straight year mass market volume in the baby wipes category (excluding Wal-Mart...

Cold/allergy/sinus liquids/powders.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... COLD, ALLERGY and SINUS LIQUID and POWDER sales rebounded last year after turning in one of their worst years in memory in 2002. Whereas mass market volume (excluding WalMart Stores Inc.) declined 1.5% a year ago, it shot up 4.5% in 2003....

Cold/allergy/sinus/tablets/packets.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... COLD, ALLERGY and SINUS TABLET and PACKET volume soared last year. For the most part, those in the industry say that the spike in sales--31.2% in the mass market (excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.), 40.2% in drug stores and 21.5% in...

Cough/sore throat drops.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... COUGH DROP sales last year rebounded from their poor performance in 2002. After falling off 0.7% a year ago in drug stores, the category racked up a healthy 3.7% increase in the trade class, outpacing the 2.9% boost in overall mass market...

Dental accessories.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... DENTAL ACCESSORIES have done well in recent years as consumers continue to trade up to power-assisted toothbrushes and other electronic implements. The higher price points those products carry have helped fuel a double-digit gain in mass...

Denture adhesives.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)
January 5, 2004... DENTURE ADHESIVE sales declined last year for the first time in a long time. One of chain drug retailing's most mature categories, denture adhesives have steadily inched forward in sales year in and year out, providing members of the trade...

Denture cleanser tablets.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... DENTURE CLEANSER TABLETS volume plummeted across the board in the mass market, despite the graying of America. In fact, of the top seven brands in the category, fourth-place Polident Overnight from GlaxoSmithKline was the only one to post a...

Eye/lens care solutions.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Sales and market share data)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... EYE/LENS CARE SOLUTION volume edged up in drug chains, suggesting that a recent proliferation of major product launches may be having a positive effect. Relatively new items include Allergan Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Restasis, approved late last...

Eye/lens care tablets/accessories.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Sales and market share data)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... EYE/LENS CARE TABLETS and ACCESSORIES' poor showing can be turned around, say industry experts, with some revision of planogramming, selection and promotions. Not too long ago 12-foot sections had been de rigeur for eye care. Now most chains...

External analgesics.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... EXTERNAL ANALGESICS volume was down, but a number of factors bode well for the category. The aging of the population and the prevalence of "weakened warriors" promises sustained demand for products that relieve arthritis pain and joint and...

Feminine needs.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... FEMININE NEEDS volume rose 3.4% in drug stores while sliding 2.7% in supermarkets, demonstrating the drug trade class' effectiveness at merchandising products for females as well as the trust that women have for the channel. Women's health...

First aid tape/bandage/gauze.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Sales and market share data)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... FIRST AID TAPE/BANDAGE/GAUZE sales grew more than twice as fast in drug stores as in supermarkets. Product introductions in the bandage market from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Beiersdorf Inc. revealed that there is a potential for excitement...

First aid ointments/antiseptics.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)
January 5, 2004... FIRST AID OINTMENT and ANTISEPTIC sales in drug stores are broadly distributed. The top nine brands all have a category share of between 2% and 10%. If private label products were considered a brand, they would dominate the segment with a...

Internal analgesics/tablets.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... INTERNAL ANALGESICS volume was sluggish in drug stores last year, but the category performed even worse in supermarkets. McNeil Consumer Healthcare has tried to invigorate its Tylenol franchise with the launch of Tylenol 8 Hour, formulated...

Laxative tablets.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... LAXATIVE TABLETS' strong sales were propelled by the graying of America. With millions of people suffering from constipation, the segment has become one of the stars of the chain drug mix. The category is led by Novartis Pharmaceutical...

Lice treatments.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Lice treatment sales fell significantly in drug stores, supermarkets and all mass outlets)
January 5, 2004... LICE TREATMENT sales fell significantly in drug stores, supermarkets and all mass outlets (excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.). But one top-selling pediculicide brand bucked the disappointing showing of the category. Drug store sales of Del...

Lip medications.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Lip medication sales grew in drug stores at more than double the rate they did in food stores)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... LIP MEDICATION sales grew in drug stores at more than double the rate they did in food stores. Eight of the top 1brands posted sales gains in the drug channel. Volume of No. 1 Abreva from GlaxoSmithKline grew 10.5% to $34.5 million, good...

Mouthwash and dental rinse.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... MOUTHWASH and DENTAL RINSE volume was flat in 2003, but a proliferation of new products has generated hope for a surge in the category. Pfizer Inc.'s new Citrus Listerine antiseptic and Cinnamon Listerine PocketPaks oral care strips, for...

Nasal preparations.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... NASAL PREPARATIONS staged a comeback in the drug store channel in 2003, although supermarkets experienced a slight decline in volume. In the former trade class sales registered a 5.6% increase to $219.5 million, while the supermarket sector...

Oral pain relief.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Oral pain relief products proved to be a disappointment in 2003)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ORAL PAIN RELIEF products proved to be a disappointment in 2003, with sales advancing only 2.9% in supermarkets to $47.6 million and a mere 0.6% in drug stores to slightly more than $92 million. By contrast, those two retail segments registered...

Sanitary napkins/liners.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... SANITARY NAPKIN sales were lackluster in 2003, much the same as they were the year before, falling 3.3% to $874.1 million. In the supermarket sector volume slipped 4% to $150 million. In drug stores the decline was not quite as dramatic, 0.7%,...

Tampons.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(sales)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... TAMPON sales continue to be important to chain drug stores, despite an overall shift in the feminine hygiene market from being a category dominated by tampons alone to a segment experiencing an increase in sales of treatments for urinary tract...

Toothbrushes.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(sales data)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... TOOTHBRUSH sales continued to fall victim to the trend toward power-assisted devices, although innovation in the category could herald a turnaround. For example, Gillette Co.'s Oral B/Braun division brought the Oral B CrossAction Vitalizer...

Toothpaste.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(sales dropped in 2003)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... TOOTHPASTE SALES slipped in 2003 in both the supermarket and drug store sectors, falling 3.8% and 1.3%, respectively. In supermarkets sales totaled $728.8 million, and in drug stores dollar sales added up to $289.2 million. In previous...

Tooth whiteners.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... TOOTH WHITENERS continue to produce phenomenal sales as more and more Americans strive to rid themselves of stained teeth. According to Information Resources Inc., sales for the top 30 over-the-counter products in the segment have...

Vitamins--1 & 2 letters.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(sales)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... ONE- and TWO-LET'I'ER VITAMINS registered a disappointing performance in 2002--and the story was the same last year. Sales in supermarkets declined 6% to $154.5 million and were off 4.5% in drug stores to $234.3 million. To be sure, some...

Vitamins--mineral supplements.(O-T-C Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS turned in a surprising performance in 2003, moving ahead 5.5% in supermarkets to $372.7 million and even more impressively in drug stores, where they rose 8% to nearly $758.1 million. Those sales figures contrasted with...

Vitamins--multivitamins.(O-T-C- Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... VITAMINS are occupying more shelf space in chain drug stores--and the sales figures demonstrate why. Sales in drug stores in the multivitamin segment soared 9.7% in 2003 to $355.6 million. Supermarkets also enjoyed a healthy gain,...

Weight control--meal replacements.(O-T-C- Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Failed to capitalize on extensive media attention devoted to rising rates of excessive weight and obesity among Americans)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... WEIGHT CONTROL and MEAL REPLACEMENT products failed to capitalize on the extensive media attention devoted to rising rates of excessive weight and obesity among Americans. In fact, after advancing 26.2% in drug stores and 8.2% in...

Weight control candy and tablets.(O-T-C- Report/Best-Sellers In Key Categories)(Had difficulty shaking off ephedra controversy last year)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... WEIGHT CONTROL CANDY and TABLETS had difficulty shaking off the ephedra controversy last year, despite the introduction of a number of products that were reformulated without the ingredient. For supermarkets the sales slide was particularly...

Duracell rolls out new CP1 battery.(Batteries News)(Duracell's new CP1 lithium primary prismatic battery)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Duracell has announced that its new CP1 lithium primary prismatic battery will be compatible with the Nikon Coolpix 3700 and Samsung Digimax U-CA 3 digital cameras. The cameras arrived in specialty stores in the fall, and according to...

Home, outdoor flashlights.(Batteries News)(Panasonic will launch new line of six Home and Outdoor Lighting flashlights at Consumer Electronics Show)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Panasonic plans to launch a new line of six Home and Outdoor Lighting flashlights at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which begins on January 8. The products include a traditional D size handheld flashlight, two durable...

Rayovac Reading Light Solutions.(Batteries News)(Rayovac Reading Light Solutions is developed with Astro Studios)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Rayovac has entered the reading light market, teaming up with Astro Studios to develop Rayovac Reading Light Solutions. The "pillow light" model uses four AA batteries and features a soft beanbaglike nonskid base that conforms to any...