Chain Drug Review, February 12, 2018

33 Chain Drug Review February 12 2018 CATEGORY INSIGHTS HOMEOPATHY Homeopathy products have found their niche NEW YORK The growing number of consumers looking Ear Drops Treatments TOTAL DOLLAR SALES 174 mil 74 DRUG STORES 93 mil 29 LEADING BRANDS Market share Dollar sales 000 Dollar sales change Private Label 333 3105 86 Debrox 332 3091 152 Hylands 119 1107 55 Similasan 101 940 155 Ring Relief 35 328 24 Murine 23 213 595 Swim Ear 16 150 90 Earwax MD 13 123 N A Humco 08 73 36 Eustachi 07 68 N A TOTAL UNIT SALES 24 mil 55 DRUG STORES 1 mil 04 LEADING BRANDS Avg price per unit Unit sales 000 Unit sales change Private Label 766 405 98 Debrox 1011 306 154 Hylands 1160 95 78 Similasan 1097 86 166 Ring Relief 1114 29 36 Swim Ear 540 28 68 Murine 834 26 601 Humco 798 9 52 Auro Dri 481 9 569 Earwax MD 1882 7 N A Total of drug stores supermarkets discount stores military commissaries and selected club and dollar stores In drug stores only Source IRI For the 12 weeks ended December 3 2017 for homeopathic remedies is especially apparent when it comes to treating upper respiratory problems And homeopathys growth was much in evidence in the fourth quarter of 2017 when combined sales of Boiron USAs Oscillococcinum and Hylands Inc and Similasan Corp coughcold brands were up 14 over the year ago period according to Charlie Gage senior manager of data synthesis and visualization at Inmar Inc The cough cold and flu category has the highest sales for the homeopathic medicine industry which aligns with what Boiron sees among its product lines says Raymond Petrick vice president of sales at Boiron USA These conditions regularly affect a great number of the population many of whom cannot tolerate drowsiness side effects at work They also may be trying to avoid interactions with other medications that often result from using traditional over the counter medications And this winter were seeing a very severe flu season across the entire country The severe cough cold flu season is driving sales of Boirons revamped ThroatCalm homeopathic sore throat pain reliever among other company products ThroatCalm known until last summer as Roxalia has gotten a new look and new packaging along with its new name and consumers have embraced the change Boiron says ThroatCalm relieves pain instead of merely numbing it with ingredients like benzocaine which is found in many O T C sore throat drugs In addition ThroatCalm eliminates the need for painful swallowing because the tablets dissolve quickly under the tongue The products soothing quality for dryness and redness is now stated more clearly on the red packaging which reinforces the connection Boiron notes Together with ColdCalm ThroatCalm reinforces Boirons cough cold flu category brand block according to the company ThroatCalm is positioned as a must have for teachers coaches vocal sports fans or anyone prone to hoarseness Its nondrowsy formula has no known drug interactions Hylands sources indicate that the top selling homeopathic product categories are cough cold internal analgesics for leg pain eye care and muscle pain We believe this is because consumers continue to look for the safest most natural and effective health care solutions for common complaints says president Les Hamilton As to the overall homeopathy market people in their 20s and 30s who are developing lasting loyalties to drug chains make up a large percentage Mothers to be and young mothers generally start becoming very aware of what they are putting into their body and the ingredients that they use to treat their young families notes Petrick And research shows that most new users of homeopathic products are Millennials At the same time Gen Xers are at the age roughly between 35 and 50 years of age when people start focusing on their personal health due to the natural aging process A 2013 study by Mintel showed that Millennials and Gen Xers represent 42 of Boirons market But the company has also found that baby boomers are very receptive to its products most likely due to the medicines not interacting with other medications this age group may be taking Millennials and Gen Xers are more open to homeopathic treatments than boomers agrees Hamilton This is especially true for those young parents with kids who are more focused on leading natural lifestyles for their families Millennials in particular accept homeopathic medicines as natural safe options for their families Older generations on the other hand dont feel as confident in using homeopathic medicines We believe this is due to a lack of understanding of how homeopathy is believed to work Additionally as their usage of prescription medicines increases they are more cautious about drug interactions When it come to marketing Boirons products have always enjoyed tremendous support via word of mouth says Petrick Social media amplifies consumers voicing their great experience with these medicines he remarks Its also a pipeline where we can have direct access with consumers Weve found that young mothers are particularly active on social media when it comes to learning and sharing about homeopathy We love to educate our consumers and we frequently offer webinars Q A sessions on Facebook Live and Twitter parties We also have an educational film series on our website All natural ear care all the rage NEW YORK The appeal of homeopathy is clear in the ear drops treatment category Products from Hylands Inc and Similasan Corp ranked in the top four in the segment which posted a gain of nearly 3 in the three months ended December 3 Hylands was the No 3 brand with sales of 112 million good for a market share of nearly 12 Similasan ranked fourth with dollar volume of 940000 and a category share of 101 Hylands products are formulated for rapid relief of earaches due to colds allergies and swimmers ear Both drops and tablets help relieve symptoms of fever pain irritability and sleeplessness associated with earaches The all natural products have a gentle homeopathic formula of botanical and mineral ingredients with no antibiotics or alcohol They are safe to use with other medicines and they have no known side effects or interactions with any other medication including antibiotics The products should be merchandised in the ear care section notes Hylands president Les Hamilton as opposed to being placed in a general homeopathy area We appreciate retailers that position the Hylands products on shelf based upon ailment rather than by a homeopathic category he remarks Retailers that position the products by ailment demonstrate that they think like a consumer and merchandise our products where mom would be looking for them This places the products throughout the store some in baby some in cough cold etc Similasan is dedicated to helping families feel good about feeling better says director of marketing Yann Pigeaire The companys gentle remedies help provide natural temporary symptomatic relief from ailments of the eyes nose head and chest as well as the ears The Similasan line includes ear drops for children age 2 and older Kids Earache Relief and Earache Relief for adults The products have unique combinations of homeopathic ingredients that work together to provide temporary relief by helping to soothe and clear ear canals to restore comfort According to homeopathic principles the active ingredients in both products temporarily relieve minor symptoms such as the sensation of fullness of the ear sensitivity to water and drafts and the annoyance of water clogged ears by helping clear water trapped in the ear Similasan also offers Ear Wax Relief drops and an ear wax removal kit for removing wax and cleaning ears without harsh peroxide The body should maintain a balanced level of ear wax production the company says noting that when the balance is disturbed discomfort can result And overproduction of earwax isnt just uncomfortable it can interfere with hearing It may even be the cause of 60 to 80 of hearing aid faults Similasan Ear Wax Relief ear drops stimulate the bodys natural ability to reduce ear wax congestion relieving the clogged sensation ringing and itching of the ear canal all without drying the ear The drops are free of alcohol gluten and dairy ingredients The ear wax removal kit gently removes wax and naturally helps maintain normal wax levels without harsh peroxide It is formulated with natural active ingredients including club moss extract And the bulb syringe is latex free Pigeaire said Similasans success stems from its commitment to providing temporary relief of symptoms naturally by engaging the bodys natural defenses to support the immune system To help fight common ailments of the ear eye nose throat head and chest all of the companys natural relief remedies contain high quality ingredients that help to naturally relieve symptoms Every remedy is formulated using traditional homeopathic guidelines and produced in accordance with the Food and Drug Administrations Good Manufacturing Practices so consumers can feel assured about providing temporary relief and comfort to their families with Similasan he commented At Similasan there is pride in every product Pigeaire added We use our own natural relief when our family members dont feel well and we also recommend them to our friends he said