Archive for CVS
JOBS: Three Strategic Pricing Analysts -CVS – Relocation Available
Posted by: | Comments
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
CVS Caremark (Fortune 19) is beginning to search for 3 Strategic Pricing Analysts to partner with our merchandising team. Two of the positions require very strong Excel and Access skills to analyze trends across vast amounts of data, preferably with Masters-level education in Mathematics, Economics, Finance, or Engineering. The third person will have retail industry experience, preferably with a MBA, to consultatively influence our Category Managers on strategic pricing optimization in our 7,000 stores.
CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) is the largest provider of prescriptions and related health care services in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the US.
If you enjoyed this post, get FREE updates when you subscribe to Myprivatebrand’s Blog by Email.Office Depot Promotes Private Brand Printer Ink On BOGO
Posted by: | Comments
Since launching it’s Private Brand ink cartridges Office Depot has continually tried to build share in this highly competitive category. This aggressive price promotion squarely pits the Private Brand against the National Brand in a category with natural affinity to the National Brand. “I bought a Dell/HP/Cannon printer I must need the matching brand ink cartridge.” This is an intriguing test for the value equation of Private Brand.
If you enjoyed this post, get FREE updates when you subscribe to Myprivatebrand’s Blog by Email.Super Saver Lillian Private Brand Goddess?
Posted by: | CommentsOver the last few CVS has been running this campaign in support of their Double Bucks promotion in surprisingly high rotation. I can’t say that I am a fan of Super Saver Lillian the older woman in this campaign, but I suppose I am not the target. CVS has certainly demonstrated a commitment to the promotion and Private Brands that is unusual in the drug segment.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://mypbrand.com//wp-content/uploads/HLIC/54e6a3db43b098ecbf5db09e027cb1c1.png)
Walgreen, What does Fresh Taste Like? Private Brand.
Posted by: | Comments
In the world of retail drugstores have developed into suburban corner stores with little or no brand differentiation. Their sameness is overwhelming, from product offering to color palette, from architecture to weekly flyer. Walgreens and CVS have more than 1,400 virtually identical stores between them, so it is interesting to learn of strategic rumblings at Walgreen. This week Businessweek reports on Walgreen’s intention to grow a fresh food business, which would presumably be spearheaded by Private Brand.
- Image via Wikipedia
Walgreen Plans to Offer Fresh Food, Prepared Meals
Walgreen Co. plans to offer fresh foods and prepared meals to draw “time-starved” shoppers to its more than 7,000 stores, taking on retailers such as Target Corp. and Kroger Co.
The drugstore chain has been talking with foodmakers including Unilever NV, Nestle SA and Sara Lee Corp. about creating private-label and branded products, said Bryan Pugh, vice president of merchandising.
“Everyone is time-starved and we have the most convenient 7,000 locations in the U.S.,” Pugh said in a Jan. 11 telephone interview. “They’re on-the-way-home destinations that are easy to get in and out of and will provide a good value.” He declined to say when the project will be implemented or how much it costs.
“Everyone is time-starved and we have the most convenient 7,000 locations in the U.S.,” Pugh said in a Jan. 11 telephone interview. “They’re on-the-way-home destinations that are easy to get in and out of and will provide a good value.” He declined to say when the project will be implemented or how much it costs.
Walgreen’s seems to be backing this up with a dream team that includes:
- Bryan Pugh, vice president of merchandising formerly of Tesco’s Fresh & Easy Neighborhood markets, which offered freshly prepared meals.
- Arthur Reingold, director of private label with classic CPG experience from Kraft and food and beverage nutrition scoring company NuVal
- A soon to be announced Director of Fresh Foods
And a number of new postings including:
Only time will tell whether this bold move will work, but I applaud the attempt to differentiate. Walgreens has location an convenience on its side if it can convenience America to but fresh and ready to eat, it could give America Mom’s a reason to engage with and potentially love Walgreens.
Private Brand Double Bucks at CVS
Posted by: | Comments
This week mega drug retailer CVS introduces its “Double Bucks” program. The promotion is part of its popular Extra Care Bucks program and is promoted in their weekly flyer, on cvs.com and in store. The program includes both Private Brands and prescriptions and runs from January 17th through March 15th, 2010. Individual earnings start from the sign-up date. Extra Bucks will not be rewarded retroactively. Your Double Bucks earnings will be combined with your quarterly Extra Bucks payout, beginning April 1st.
The program includes:
- Instead of earning 2% back on CVS Private Brand items, your earnings will double to 4% back.
- Instead of earning $1 Extra Buck for every 2 prescriptions, your earnings will Double to $2 Extra Bucks for every 2 prescriptions purchased.
CVS Private Brand Store Wide Sale.
Posted by: | Comments
In their first flyer of 2010 Woonsocket, Connecticut based mega drugstore CVS devotes two pages to their Private Brands. Page two and three feature a “Store Wide Sale” with Buy One Get One 50% Off on select CVS/pharmacy brand products. Prices are effective Sunday, December 27th – Saturday, January 2nd. This continues a focus on Private Brand promotions from CVS that included numerous pages in their 2009 weekly flyers.
Retailers Wage War on National Brands!
Posted by: | CommentsThis much written about war between national brands and Private Brands continues to draw much attention form the press, and according to this article from Ad Age continues to escalate. National brand marketers shout the end of retailers who go to far and Private Brand manufacturers take every sku they can get meanwhile only time will tell how this war will conclude or if it is a war consumers care about.
From CVS to Costco, Retailers Put the Screws to Brands
Coke, Energizer Ditched in Price Fight, CVS Bills to Make Up Profit Deficit
Marketers are facing the litmus test of whether their brands truly are indispensable as retailers show a growing willingness to boot even major, well-advertised brands to improve leverage, margins and lower prices.
Costco’s recent decision to strip Coca-Cola products from its shelves in a pricing dispute is the highest-profile sign yet that the age-old battle between marketer and retailer is escalating, due to the growing power of private label, looming package-goods deflation in the face of falling commodity prices, rising pressure on retailer margins, and softening volumes. Facing those factors and armed with data from loyalty cards, retailers are getting savvier about which brands to keep and which to lose.
CVS/Caremark plans to remove most Energizer alkaline batteries from its stores by early next year, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Bill Schmitz, leaving just Duracell and private label. And Walmart, which stepped up efforts to pare brands from its shelves this year, will reduce assortments even more aggressively next year, according to manufacturers and analysts.
If you enjoyed this post, get FREE updates when you subscribe to Myprivatebrand’s Blog by Email.Private BRand. Whats in a Name?
Posted by: | CommentsDuetsBlog posted this fascinating look at product naming in the nations top three drug retailers, it is a nice analysis of the various naming conventions used by the big three (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid).
If you are unfamiliar with DuetsBlog it is written by attorneys form the Minnesota law firm of Winthrop & Weinstine. Take a moment and check it out. Here is an excerpt from their “About Us” page that sums up their purpose.
DuetsBlog was born out of the chasm that can divide legal and marketing types. Sometimes this separation can be explained by the difference between left and right brain dominance. Sometimes it is driven by arrogance or rigidity. Sometimes Dr. No is the root of the problem, standing in the way of progress and stifling important business goals. Other times, simple oversight is the culprit. Whatever the reason, this divergence can be a formidable obstacle to early coordination, planning, and dialogue between legal and marketing teams. When this happens, most certainly the opportunity for an organization to be strategic, create and own great value, and protect it, is diminished, if not lost altogether. DuetsBlog is our effort to facilitate a more ambidextrous approach and promote early—and very graceful—collaborations among legal and marketing teams.
I have dealt with many trademark and copyright attorneys over the years so I can certainly attest to the chasm they speak of but when the partnership is successful it can create some great brands.
Naming the Store Brand
Every Sunday I go through the circulars in the paper looking for new products. I usually spend a lot of time with the ads from the national drug store chains (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid). Recently, I observed that each chain seems to have a radically different philosophy on store brand naming. And while this observation isn’t earth shattering, it exposes the marketing strategies (or lack thereof) of each chain.
For example, check out the allergy section. The big brand names like Benadryl®, Claritin® and Zyrtec® all have store brand/private label competition. Walgreens naming protocol for its store brand is pretty straightforward and seems to be designed to help a consumer find the Walgreens knockoff of the branded product. You can buy Wal-dryl, Wal-itin, and Wal-zyr, and the packaging is color coded to make it easier. This is a very consistent strategy that is designed to make life easier for the consumer and also designed to build the “Wal-“ prefix as a brand.
If you enjoyed this post, get FREE updates when you subscribe to Myprivatebrand’s Blog by Email.40% Off All CVS Private Brands.
Posted by: | Comments
Woonsocket, Rhode Island based drug chain CVS operates approximately 6,923 drugstores located in 41 states and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 27 states is marketing it’s Private Brands with a four day sales promotion. They are offering customers 40% savings on CVS Private Brand products from September 24th through the 27th!*
If you enjoyed this post, get FREE updates when you subscribe to Myprivatebrand’s Blog by Email.Drugstore Private Brands Invade Sunday Newspapers
Posted by: | CommentsMany of my frequent readers have heard me talk about my family and my wife’s affinity for couponing, she writes a on again, off again blog call Drugstore Mom about her love of drugstore loyalty programs and couponing. So every Sunday morning we sit down with our local newspaper, and I read the paper and she clips coupons and looks for deals. She was particularly excited this week as there where five FSI’s (Valasis, P&G, etc.) so she came home with two newspapers.
I read the inserts but my focus is on Private Brands and related news so I started to notice a trend not one but all three of the major drugstores in our market are featuring Private Brands in their Sunday circular.
Walgreen’s features Private Brand allergy relief products on the cover, an entire page of Private Brand products on page two and numerous other Private Brand products throughout the twelve-page circular. Notice the packaging creative is clearly in transition, it will be interesting to see how Private Brands evolve in Walgreens and where the W and Walgreens branded products will play.
Rite Aid is running a “Buy One Get Second one 50% Off” on all it’s Private Brand Rite Aid Private Brand products. The promotion is featured on the last page of their twelve-page circular.
CVS inserted a sixteen-page circular which includes CVS Private Brand products throughout as well as a “Buy One Get Second one 50% Off” block on page four.
