Monthly Retailer Category Tips — Cold & Allergy

August 12, 2022By Behind the Shelf Blog, Monthly Retailer Category Tips, Resources focused on Independent Pharmacy

Prepare for the fall cold and allergy spike with the tips below.

by Kyle Lentz, category analyst, part of Monthly Retailer Category Tips

1) With 50 million sufferers in the U.S. and millions more worldwide, allergies are the 6th largest cause of chronic illness.1 The fact that allergy is the number two subcategory within independent pharmacy illustrates there’s no longer twice-a-year seasons of suffering for those with allergies, rather it’s year-round.

What to do? Track allergens in your area using this WebMD allergy tracker and on days when allergens are heightened, put out “Be prepared” signs directing customers to the allergy section or a promotional display that includes allergy OTCs, tissues, and complementary eye care items.

2022 Cold & Allergy Subcategory graph

2) Private label is 31% of brand contribution in the category2 which is a win-win situation for independent pharmacies who stock a healthy selection of these products in their department. Customers will appreciate the lower cost option and pharmacies enjoy higher profit margins. Promote your private label products with signs and special indicators on your website so they are easy for your customers to find and compare to the brand equivalent.

3) Of the recently launched items in allergy tabs and caps, over 70% are category disrupters that will add incremental growth. These include:

GTIN

 Product

HRG StarsAwarded
00041167412640 Allegra® Hives 24-hour 30 tablets

*
00300450235244 Benadryl® Allergy Extra Strength 24 tablets

*
00353100346494 FLONASE Headache & Allergy 48 caplets
00353100353416 FLONASE Headache & Allergy 96 caplets

**
00353100349648 FLONASE Headache & Allergy 12 caplets

FLONASE Headache & Allergy products are the first in the brand that aren’t in spray form, Benadryl is the first extra strength product for the brand and the Allegra product is the first SKU from the brand that addresses hives. It is important to get these new items on the shelf to draw customer interest and grow sales. Take advantage of any promotions for these important brands.

  1. Allergy Facts and Figures. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Allergies: A Chronic Disease – Choate Public Health
  2. HRG Tri-PAC™ Data 52 weeks ending 5/31/2022