Pollen spikes sales, allergy slow overall

Drug Store News, June 25, 2001

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. -- According to several allergists, pollen counts reached record levels last month, which might explain both the recent demand for OTC sinus and allergy remedies and the recent rise of allergy reports in mainstream media.

However, this doesn't necessarily translate into a rocket ride for allergy-medication retailers. "You had a three-week late start to the allergy season because of an extremely cold and wet winter," reported Gerry Kress, chief executive of Surveillance Data, a marketing research firm. This was followed by a burst of very warm weather in late April, triggering a significant spike in pollination.

"It happens in different parts of the country at different times. It's a north-to-south phenomenon," he said. "In reality, this season to date [first week of February through May] is running slightly behind last year," remarked Kress. "We are 1.1 percent behind last season on a cumulative basis."

Still, data from Information Resources Inc. suggests that for the 12 weeks ended April 22, sales of cold/cough and allergy medications were slightly up in all channels compared to last year. Kress warned, though, that it's difficult to read into those numbers if they're not split between the two conditions. "This was a very long [2000-2001] cold sea son that extended all the way into April. Allergy products are continuing to grow, but at a slower rate than past seasons," he explained.

Looking forward, Kress predicted the allergy season nationwide would be more active this summer compared to last year.