On-shelf samples spur sales

Drug Store News, April 19, 2004

Procter & Gamble had a hunch that once women tried the lotions and serums of its newest skin care line Olay Regenerist they would toss the premium-priced products in their shopping baskets.

That said, the consumer products company, borrowing a tried-and-true technique from department-store beauty counters, launched Olay Regenerist testers in several chains, including CVS and Duane Reade. Rather than opt for sachets filled with lotion--the kind one would expect to find tucked inside the pages of consumer magazines--P&G outfitted mass skin care departments with on-shelf testers that allow shoppers to sample the lotion and experience the delivery system directly from the actual product.

The brand, which makes serious skin care claims, relies on a pentapeptide formula combined with essential vitamins to regenerate skin's appearance without the irritation of a chemical peel. Since its launch in spring 2003, Olay Regenerist has topped the charts, and currently occupies the No. 1 seat in the skin care category, according to Information Resources Inc.