CVS 24.7
By Elena Sullivan

CVS’ new exclusive 24.7 brand stands out not only because of its bright color , but because of its high quality features.

Is CVS setting the standard when it comes to exclusive skin care lines, or is it pushing the envelope with the higher price tags given to some of the exclusive lines?

Walking into the 24 hour hour CVS on 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue in New York City, the bright lighting, wide aisles, lower shelves (geared towards women who are the average customer), self-service check-out stations, and the friendly greeter makes one take a step back and think, “is this really CVS?” Well….it is!

The experience begins on a positive note as a greeter enthusiastically welcomes customers. (During a holiday season trip, a PL magazine staff member encountered a smiling employee wearing a Santa hat–illustrating the friendly atmosphere CVS is aiming to create.)

Walking through the store, products were easy to locate due to the enormous round signs hanging from the ceiling informing customers what section they are in–cosmetics, pharmacy, bath and body, etc. These prominent signs came in handy during the visit, leading PL down the spotless red carpet right to the cosmetics. Lo and behold, the exact reason for the visit stood right in front of the aisle, calling out to customers. The reason for this visit, you ask? The debut of the exclusive 24.7 Skincare line–at press time, only available at this CVS location and online. 24.7 is an anti-aging skin care line claiming to deliver immediate results, be it diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reducing the appearance of dark circles and puffiness, providing intense hydration, or creating fuller, plumper lips in seconds. A new addition to the range is 24.7 Minerals, described as a “groundbreaking fusion of superior mineral ingredients and the cosmeceutical skincare benefits of 24.7 Skincare anti-aging products.” 24.7 Minerals will soon be available at CVS.

The 24.7 Skincare line includes Targeted Wrinkle Treatment, Firming Anti-Aging Eye Serum, Smoothing Anti-Aging Moisturizer, Daily Purifying Facial Scrub, and Instant Plump Volumizing Lip Shine. The collection is priced at $15.99 to $39.99. The price may be the primary deterrent for shoppers who may not be used to drugstore cosmetics with a relatively high (for drugstores) price tag.

The Icing on Top

Although the 24.7 line is strongly being promoted, CVS has not forgotten its ‘older’ exclusive skincare lines–Boots, Lumene, and Skin Essentials, which lead 24.7 to become a part of CVS’ impressive selection of exclusive lines. CVS dedicates ample room for these lines, especially Boots and Lumene, which are constantly adding exciting products to their lines. At the CVS mentioned earlier, neatly arranged displays enable shoppers to view and locate products. The collection, which stood out from the pack in the Lumene line was its blueberry curl mascara containing artic blueberry seed oil, and its blue dream collection made with Scandinavian spring water, Scandinavian linseed and canola oil, and natural antioxidants.

The Boots line exhibited an array of products containing ingredients that may make shoppers raise an eyebrow and simultaneously intrigue them enough to purchase. The Boots Botanics line includes body washes with ingredients such as milk, almond and pistachio; olive, wheat germ and honey; grape, avocado and lemon; and lemon, rosemary and walnut.

Eye Care Solutions

When it comes to eye care accessories, drugstores are the place to go. Major retailers, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Duane Reade supply customers with an ample number of eye care accessory choices. Walgreens features accessories galore. Displayed is a standard bi-focal magnifier, illuminated magnifier with 3X magnification, and a wallet magnifier. For those inclined to bring a magnifier on the go, Walgreens also offers a pocket magnifier.

Along the lines of Walgreens, CVS features a variety of eye care accessories including combo packs of lens tissue and spray, and a pack of cleaner cloths with a bonus case. The retailer also carries lens tissues and a lens cleaner spray.

Eye drops and saline solution options available at drugstores are plentiful, albeit the choices are pretty basic. At Duane Reade there is not much new in the eye care aisle, however the retailer does offer the basics, rewetting drops, redness relief drops, seasonal eye drops, artificial drops, and multi-purpose solution.

With its eye drop and solution selection, Rite Aid is an echo of Duane Reade. Both retailers price their eye care products lower than national brands, giving them an edge over the competition.

In addition, most drugstores sell value packs of multi-purpose solution. Walgreens and Rite Aid both exemplify retailers who follow this trend. Rite Aid’s product features a ‘Special Value Twin Pack’ call-out to attract customers to its no rub multi-purpose solution for soft contact lenses, while the packaging of the same item at Walgreens’ shouts out “New Twin Pack!”

Although the PL eye care offerings on shelves are limited, retailers are continuously improving their formulas and matching the quality of national brands.

Recommended Suppliers

• Royal Labs Natural Cosmetics Inc.,Johns Island, SC, 800-760-7779
• Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Tampa, FL, 800-227-1424 x 2690
• Today’s Optical, Brooklyn, NY, 718-965-2588
• American Consumer Products, Los Angeles, CA, 310-443-3330
• Harrison Specialty Canton, MA, 781-828-8180

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.