Drug chains are focused on strongest skin care brands

Drug Store News, Sept 11, 1989

Drug chains are focused on strongest new skin care brands

Among the newer skin care products this year, Plenitude seems off to a strong start in many drug chains. And Noxell's Clarion cosmetic skin care line, launched earlier this year, is continuing to do well.

Most buyers say that while they haven't had enough time to evaluate Plenitude's performance in line as part of the general skin care set, L'Oreal's introductory pre-packs for Plenitude, including the promotional trial size $2 pre-pack, "blew through" their stores.

The trial size pre-packs featured sampler sizes of the cleansing cream, the regular moisturizer and the skin firming-toning serum. Almost every chain that took the pre-packs merchandised them in cosmetics.

Elaine Sartini, director of cosmetic marketing for American Drug Stores, says the Plenitude sampler pre-packs "flew" out of her stores. She also said consumers who bought the sampler have been coming back asking for more.

The Plenitude story, however, is an unusual one. The initial launch looks very promising, but sales are all coming from pre-packs primarily located in cosmetic departments. Plenitude will face its harshest test this fall when most chains will have finished working it into their mass skin care planogram.

Buyers say they are "heartened" by initial consumer acceptance of the line and hope it will translate into high volume repurchases once Plenitude goes in line and its introductory $15 million ad campaign breaks.

In its initial test stages, sources say Plenitude did very well in the in-line mass skin care section, but some cosmetic buyers still wonder whether it wouldn't do better or at least just as well merchandised with the L'Oreal color line in cosmetics.

The skin care buyer for an East Coast chain, with most of its stores in poorer neighborhoods, wondered whether lower income consumers would respond to the line, or whether they'd rather stick with more basic individual items like Olay or Lubriderm.

All buyers interviewed felt that more than ever this year, the success of brands depended on how well manufacturers educated clerks and consumers on their benefits.

At American Drug, Sartini had arranged for L'Oreal to supply all her stores with a 20-minute training tape on Plenitude, and she was planning a fall promotion on Plenitude that would permit high volume Osco and Sav-on stores to use professional models, hired by L'Oreal, to demonstrate how Plenitude should be used. Two demos would each last about four hours on high traffic days, probably on weekends.

In New York, Austin Drug was planning a similar demonstration with models who would be in the store showing consumers how to use the regimen in late August.

Many skin care buyers also said they hoped to see more higher-end lines like Plenitude. One said he felt that higher end lines in skin care could boost dollar sales and profits just as the higher-end prestige and professional hair care brands did several years ago in that department.

Revlon is also beefing up its presence in the mass skin care category. They, however, have a marketing strategy that is nearly the opposite of L'Oreal's.

They have repackaged and relaunched the Clean & Clear mass line and added two new items positioned to compete against two category leaders: Olay, the No. 1 facial skin care moisturizer, and Neutrogena, the No. 1 liquid facial cleanser. Both are lower in price than their competition.

It's still early

The new package and the two new items, MoistureFirm Gel and Facial Cleansing Liquid, were just getting into most stores at press time and no ads had broken yet so it was hard to judge how they were doing. Revlon says it will spend $5 million on TV and print to support the launch from now through mid-November, and should spend $8 million to $10 million over the first 12 months overall.

Revlon also has a seven-minute training aid video available that explains the benefits of both MoistureFirm and the entire line.

Many buyers told us that tinted moisturizers and moisturizers with sun protection factors were doing well in their stores, especially the Neutrogena SPF tinted moisturizers.

"No one wants to wake up in the morning looking like their own mother," said one buyer, "and moisturizers with sun protection promise to help women avoid this fate."

Del's Rejuvia was also just hitting many stores at press time. Most buyers said it was too early to tell, but most said they thought it could do well. "Nice packaging," said one source. "And that will help it."

In facial lotions, many buyers said they were selling much more unscented product than they had in years past, and oil- and alcohol-free products were also doing well.

In bath, Calgon was often named as the best-selling brand, followed usually by Vaseline Intensive Care. Many chains that have the higher priced Vitabath line report that sales are quite good. And Yardley soaps are doing very well, buyers say, even in chains whose overall bath product sales are slow.

Glycerine soaps sales glisten

Glycerine soaps, especially by Neutrogena, are selling well, buyers said. In New York, Duane Reade has just accepted a "knock-off" of the Neutrogena glycerine soap. The knock off, made by E. E. Dickinson, which also makes Witch Hazel, will be priced about $1 less than the Neutrogena soaps, and management thinks it should do very well in their stores. The source said having it in the store was a little like having a private label line because it gave Duane Reade another opportunity to give its shoppers price alternatives, but without resorting to a private label.