Sales of coconut water continue to soar. According to a recent report from Mintel, the U.S. market for coconut water was around $350 million in 2011, representing 2% of the total fruit juice and drinks sales.

That trip to the local restaurant is off the menu for consumers today, as are furnishings and electronics, Empathica reported on Thursday, citing its latest Consumer Insights Panel survey of more than 6,500 U.S. consumers.

Unilever is taking what it considers to be a breakthrough approach to hair care — by focusing on the scalp, rather than the ends — with its Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy line that hit North America in May.

Bic Consumer Products USA’s new FlameDisk offers consumers a convenient, portable alternative to charcoal. FlameDisk, which uses ethanol as its main fuel ingredient, heats up quickly and is cleaner than charcoal.

One of the first lessons in life that children learn is that getting sick isn’t fun, and going to the pharmacy isn’t too exciting either. In 2004, pharmacist Charles Tabouchirani decided to change that by opening Cherry’s Pharmacy, a store that specializes in dealing with children.

To gain greater insight into how industry professionals are helping niche brands find success at retail, Drug Store News hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with some of today’s leading players.

Social media opens many new opportunities for healthcare organizations to engage consumers and is changing the nature of healthcare interaction, according to a new report by Pricewaterhouse­Coopers’ Health Research Institute.


Tracking all of the latest trends within beauty can be about as simple as herding cats, but there undoubtedly are some niches within beauty that are making waves at food, drug and mass.


I am the 99%. And thank God for that. But it’s not what you think. This isn’t about radical politics and class warfare. I’m not looking to tax the 1%. I just want them to take better care of themselves. And I’m definitely not the only one. More and more, payers, insurers and big government are all looking at ways to get this group to live a little healthier. 


Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group said that back-to-college has become a big opportunity for retailers, and everybody wants part of the business. Last year, families spent an average of $800 on back-to-college products.


Drug Store News spoke with Adam Holyk, Walgreens divisional VP loyalty and consumer insights, about the newly created consumer insights team focused on enhancing Walgreens’ engagement with its patients and customers, and how it will help complement Walgreens’ marketing efforts.


Watson has announced its intention to acquire Actavis, the company said. Following news reports that the U.S.-based generic drug maker would acquire Switzerland-based Actavis, Watson announced that it would buy the latter for $5.6 billion.