The HBC hotties of 2001. (Special Report).(top health and beauty care products recommended for planograms)(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)

Publication: Drug Topics

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COPYRIGHT 2002 Advanstar Communications, Inc.

Analysts at Hamacher Resource Group, a Milwaukee-based company that provides marketing services and business intelligence to the healthcare industry, reviewed 1,718 health and beauty care (HBC) items in 2001 and deemed that only 20% (338) of them were worthy of being incorporated into the planograms it prepares for its customers. That's 73 fewer than in 2000 when the HBC specialists judged that 30% (411) of 1,393 product introductions were used in planograms.

Although the experts chose fewer items for planograms in 2001, according to the company, more of the chosen items show a very high potential to succeed. In 2000, only nine of the new items were recommended for all planogram sizes. In 2001, 17 new products got the nod for large, medium, and small planograms. Out of this group, 14 have won a place on Hamacher's elite Top 1,000 HBC list. These include:

Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste 6 oz. Crest Whitestrips 56 Dimetapp & Allergy Elixir 4 oz., 8 oz. Dimetapp DM Elixir 4 oz. Gillette Venus Razor Gillette Venus Cartridge 4 Icy Hot Extra Strength Patch 5 One Touch Ultra System One Touch Ultra Strips 50, 100 Robitussin CF 4 oz., 8 oz. Rogaine 3x2 oz. Men Extra Strength

Standards for planogram placement

Of more than 39,000 branded and private-label HBC items sold in the United States, Hamacher grants only about 6,500 (slightly more than 16%) a place in planograms each year. So when a new item earns a place in any planogram, its analysts are anticipating that the product will outsell almost 84% of existing HBCs.

Standards for medium and small planograms are very stringent. To be placed in most medium, or B-size, planograms, the item should rank among the top 4,000 HBCs. To be included in the smallest, C-size, planograms, items must show signs of outselling nearly 93% of current items and rank in the top 2,625 HBCs. Even more important is the product's potential within its own department. Before the analysts add an item, they must be convinced that it will outsell at least one item already in the planogram.

The...

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