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 Oral Care - March/April 2008  |
Behind the Glass Door
As consumers become more conscious of oral health, retailers are stepping up and offering products to meet their customers’ needs. Mentions of the importance of oral care and the products involved in cleaning teeth, have been popping up in various publications–national brands are giving each other, and private labels a run for their money by introducing more sophisticated and appealing products. Many people see brushing their teeth as a hassle, but recently people are becoming more aware of the benefits of healthy teeth and want to make them as white and clean as possible without spending a lot on professional teeth whitening procedures. Therefore, retailers are responding by expanding their selection of whitening products and using more whitening ingredients in other oral care items such as toothpaste and mouthwash. CVS’ Cavity Care At a recent trip to a CVS store PL magazine noticed that CVS, Woonsocket, RI, has implemented an interesting marketing technique–it has placed its more expensive oral care products behind a locked, glass case. The case is situated at the beginning of the aisle and contains not only national brands but private labels as well. An oral care product that was a surprise to see as a private label was a Sonic toothbrush sanitizer with ultraviolet technology to kill germs and bacteria. The product is designed to save space while fitting up to 4 tooth-brushes and one razor. A statement on the back of the box reads: “The CVS/pharmacy UV Toothbrush Sanitizer utilizes ultraviolet light to destroy the DNA structure and kill germs and bacteria. Based on independent testing, the sanitizer can kill over 99% of common illness-causing yeasts, molds, viruses and bacteria that can incubate on a toothbrush.” Compared to national brand Sonicare, the CVS store brand is a steal, priced at $49.99 while Sonicare’s is $94.49. Although the device is on the expensive side, it is almost half the price of Sonicare, and in a day and age when many people focus on being germ-free, the product is bound to get attention. Also in the glass case were four types of whitening products: a 30 minute, 14-day once a day whitening film; 7-day dissolving tooth whitening strips, and a 7-day advanced whitening film, meant to be used once a day for 30 minutes; and a nighttime whitening gel. Although the products whitening strips will not harm dental work, such as caps, crowns, veneers, dentures or fillings, they will only whiten natural teeth. Rite Aid, Harrisburg, PA, carries most teeth whitening oral care basics. Shoppers can find improved items such as 7-day whitening wraparound strips, which have been updated with an easy fit design; however, the drug chain did not visibly carry any new whitening products. Additionally, Rite Aid offers toothpaste with anti-cavity fluoride and whitening ingredients. Fresh Breath Along with the continuation of new and enhanced whitening products appearing on shelves nationwide, fresh breath is also an area that retailers have been focusing on lately. Take for example national brand Listerine that has been running numerous amusing commercials about bad breath. Hygiene is becoming more and more a talked about subject, and due to the number of new products to help bad breath, it is obvious that retailers are listening. Drugstores including Walgreens, Deerfield, IL, and Duane Reade, New York, NY, display a number of new products that are meant to freshen consumers’ breath. Duane Reade features two breath freshening products under its store brand: breath spray and breath drops. The breath spray comes in a 1/3 fl oz container, small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag. The spray is sugar-free, fat-free, non-aerosol and the bottle includes over 100 sprays. The breath drops are similar to the spray, but are presented in a pack of two tiny 1/8 fl oz bottles containing over 160 drops in each bottle. The label on both product packages includes directions on how to use the product. Duane Reade also offers improved Flossups, which are gum stimulators and picks. The retailer claims that the product is easy to use, shred-resistant floss and has raised grips for better control. Under its Fresh Breath range, Walgreens offers a variety of innovative products similar to Duane Reade. For example, the retailer offers small bottles of sugar free peppermint breath drops. Shoppers can find sugar-free whitening gum, an item PL did not see at other retailers. Continuing with the fresh breath trend, Walgreens allows consumers to clean their teeth on the go with its store brand teeth wipes. CVS also features a fresh breath spray in a mint breeze flavor. According to the label, the mist is long lasting, alcohol and sugar-free and there are 70+ sprays in the bottle. Shoppers can find teeth wipes, which enable them to have “clean and fresh teeth…anytime, anywhere!” The teeth wipes are sugar-free and have a mint flavor. Going Back to Nature Trader Joe’s is the only retailer that appears to sell natural toothpaste. The toothpaste does not have a mint flavor like other brands, but instead it includes interesting herbal ingredients such as Fennel, Propolis, and Myrrh. The retailer states that these herbal resins leave the mouth with a fresh, clean feeling. The anti-plaque toothpaste is all-natural and does not include fluoride. To fight plaque buildup, the toothpaste is made with xylitol. In addition, on the package is a small call-out informing consumers that there is no saccharin, lauryl sulfates or propylene glycol in the product. Mass merchandisers have not been following the oral care trends as closely as drugstores. At the moment, the rate at which drugstores have been continuously rolling out new and improved oral care products, shoppers need not worry–they can purchase high quality oral care products such as whitening treatments for much lower prices than national brands. Recommended Suppliers
Products described or shown in this article are not necessarily available from these suppliers. For more suppliers see current Private Label Directory & Buyer’s Guide. |
