Spring Fever
Parents can get their children’s temperatures even while sleeping with this CVS Digital Temple Thermometer. The non-invasive thermometer rapidly tracks the heat flow generated from blood vessels to the skins surface and converts measurement to body temperature.
Whether shoppers are suffering from allergies or fevers this season store brands have the cure.
While many residents of four climate regions may jump for joy at the first spring flowers poking up through the ground, another group of people are suffering. Consumers afflicted by allergies have been hit hard this season and a report from the National Wildlife Federation doesn’t provide much hope for relief. Extreme Allergies and Global Warming, says many allergy triggers are worsening as a result of climate change. The report identifies nine states as “hotspots for large increases in allergenic tree pollen if global warming pollution increases unabated.”
With shoppers suffering from allergies and many still distressed from the economy, turning to private brand products may be a practical attack against allergens. Global market research firm Synovate surveyed almost 12,000 people across 15 countries and reported in April that the US ranked the highest among all countries for anti-histamine/anti-allergy purchases (27%). The study found 65% of Americans disagree that a store’s own OTC products are just as effective as branded products. However, when asked if they preferred to use/give their family recognized brands, only 14% of Americans agreed. So if they think branded products are more effective, perhaps prices could be causing them to shop store brands regardless.
Eradicating Allergies
CVS Pharmacy, Woonsocket, RI, sells a plethora of “compare to” products in the allergy category. CVS Indoor/Outdoor Allergy Relief offers 24 hours of relief from runny noses, itchy eyes, sneezing and itchy throat. The store brand compares to “the active ingredient in Zyrtec,” but sells for $3.69 for five tablets. For the same price shoppers can also buy CVS Allergy Tablets in a 24 pack that compare to Benadryl Allergy ($5.39 for 24). Other store brand products to compare to Benadryl include a dye free version and “new” Allergy Plus Cold with a fever reducer. CVS also had an allergy and sinus headache option with “new” Pseduphedrine free formula that didn’t have national brand competition.
Another “new” product, CVS Nasal Spray Fast Acting to compare to 4-Way Nasal Spray, provides shoppers with sinus congestion relief for just $5.99. Shoppers suffering from itchy eyes can find relief at Walgreen Co., Deerfield, IL, thanks to new Wal-Zyr (WAL-ZYR) Itchy Eye drops. The antihistamine eye drops compare to Zyrtec brand and provide relief for up to 12 hours. The package features a clear plastic panel showcasing the bottle.
All Wal-Zyr store brand products compare to Zyrtec, while Wal-Dryl products compare to Benydryl. Bulk sizes of the remedies save consumers the most money. Wal-Zyr All Day Allergy 150-count pack retails at $32.99, while just 45 of the Zyrtec Allergy Tablets, less than a third of the store brand amount, retails at $26.99. The “economy size” Wal-Dryl Allergy 200-count pack retails for $12.99, while 100 Benadryl Allergy Ultratab Tablets costs $14.99. Mass merchandiser Costco Wholesale, Issaquah, WA, beat the drugstores’ prices with its bulk pack of Kirkland Signature Aller-Tec Cetirizine HCL/ Antihistamine Tablets that compare to Zyrtec at just $16.29 for a 365-count.
Top Care
Giant Eagle, Pittsburg, PA, recently promoted its Top Care store brand products sourced from Topco, in a recent “See what’s on sale!” email from Giant Eagle. When shoppers were linked through the email to the Top Care products webpage, the page boasted:
“We are confident in our new Top Care products because the active ingredients are the same as the national brands.”
For shoppers suffering from allergies another landing page on the site is dedicated to allergy relief: “You’ve trusted Giant Eagle Pharmacy to bring you the best prices on medications with our generic prescription program. Now Giant Eagle brings you even more savings on over-the-counter medications with our new brand, Top Care!”
Giant Eagle carries an array of store brand allergy products including a non-drowsy version for children. Top Care brand All Day Allergy is advertised at $10.99 for a 30ct. ($5.99 14ct.) and claims to offer 24-hour relief from indoor and outdoor allergy symptoms. “Compare active ingredients to Zyrtec — enjoy the same prescription-strength allergy relief for less!”
Hot and Cold
These CVS brand allergy products carry the “CVS pharmacist recommended” logo and are packaged in colors to rival their comparison products–Benadryl and Zyrtec. A new product from Walgreens provides relief from itchy eyes and showcases the product through a clear panel.
When it comes to preventing colds and boasting the immune system, Walgreens has several new products available. Walgreens offers products to compare to Airborne, including “new” Wal-Born plus probiotic in orange flavor. While the flavor is in competition with Airborne’s Zesty Orange flavor, the store brand’s addition of Probiotics is innovative. Walgreens also had “new” Zinc Cold Therapy Quick Melts to compare to Zicam RapidMelts. The store brand’s citrus flavor tablets are said to reduce the duration and severity of colds.
Consumers who haven’t prevented oncoming illness can head to CVS for store brand thermometers to determine if hot foreheads indicate fevers. The “new” CVS Digital Temple Thermometer can find out if shopper’s children have a fever without disturbing their sleep. The six-second reading is obtained through the non-invasive sensor and is read on a large digital display. Also for sale was a digital thermometer with “fever glow” technology (The green LCD glows red to indicate fever). A simple digital option will run just $4.79 on sale online, while the CVS Instant Ear Digital Thermometer that reads temperature in one second retails at $29.99.
Vitamins
The sale of private label vitamins in Food/Drug/Mass Merchandiser Stores (including Wal-Mart) rose 10.4% to over $136 million with a 23.3% share in the category, according to the last 52 weeks ending February 20, 2010, according to the Nielsen Company. While most drugstores offer a store brand line of typical vitamins, Trader Joe’s, Monrovia, CA, is one store that offers a vast and varied assortment of dietary supplements. Typical multivitamins, including women’s and men’s versions, are available, while TJ’s also sells its Pantheon Pack, a daily packet of vitamins and minerals. The hangtag in the store read, “Everything you need in one place,” and 30 days worth of packets cost $9.99.
TJ’s shelves all of its store brand supplements together, without much national brand competition (although we did see Airborne on the shelf without a comparable store brand offered). In addition to multivitamins and more common options like Echinacea and B complex, TJ’s also offered Trader Joe’s Chewable Oranges & C, a supplement that provides 833% of your daily value of Vitamin C in each wafer. Best of all, at less than $0.03 per wafer getting a burst of Vitamin C is as affordable as it is easy.
For a spring cleaning of the body, Trader Joe’s Complete Body Cleanse for $12.99, packaged in a green and white box containing three bottles, claims to support the body’s ability to decrease toxins from external sources.
Under the Trader Darwin’s line (“For the survival of the fittest”) shoppers can find supplements like Chewable Peppermint Flavored Melatonin to promote sleep. TJ’s website offers many guides to shoppers, including Trader Joe’s Guide to Vitamins & Minerals. The guide explains to shoppers they are able to sell top quality supplements at their low prices because they distribute the product themselves without a middleman. The guide also reads, “All tableters and manufacturers of vitamin and mineral supplements basically use the same raw materials. The main difference between brands of Dietary Supplements are what additional ingredients are used."
