CVS is a
very interesting category management example. I have already in the pastdiscussed about their decision of quitting the tobacco category, for strategyand positioning purposes.
CVS now
needs to move beyond with its concept.
The mission statement of CVS is clear: Today,consumers are taking a more active role in their healthcare decisions and areincreasingly searching for ways to take care of themselves proactively.
“We are trying to help educate her right at the shelf so she can make
some really good decisions for herself,” Foulkes said. One area in which the
company has tried to raise the bar is in women’s wellness, where it has
expanded offerings to provide a wider range of solutions to address the
different stages of a woman’s life — not just prenatal but also post-natal; not
just products to help manage menopause but also, perimenopause, Judy
Sansone, SVP, front store business, told DSN.
“As we look to continue to strengthen our brand, we are looking to do
some more innovative things in our core categories. The CVS/pharmacy brand is
actually the No. 1 brand in our stores and as we think about it in our core
categories first aid is a great example,” said Cia Tucci, VP, store
brands. “We just recently launched an expanded wound care line, which is
an exclusive relationship with a supplier who specializes in hospital-grade
wound care. … This is one way we are strengthening the core of our brand and we
are really excited about this.”
CVS is working on its product range and service to provide a comprehensive shopping experience. You can see it in the example below:
Specific end of the aisle specific display to promote some categories
A reshape of the beauty sections, with lower shelves and a lot of marketing on the point of sales.
Clear labels to explain the different categories of products. Also an extensive work on categories, that go beyond medication, with food (gluten free, organic...)
I am convinced CVS made the right move, and we will soon enough the results of those initiatives.
