A PERSONAL DECISION

MICHAEL SLEZAK

If it's true that the early bird gets the worm, then the latecomers need to have some special tactics to ensure they don't go hungry.

In the vaginal yeast infection treatment category, the early birds, Ortho Pharmaceutical's Monistat 7 and Gyne-Lotrimin from Schering-Plough Healthcare, literally flew off the shelves and amassed huge market shares when the active ingredients in their products went over-the-counter about three years ago.

The market innovators, Monistat 7 and Gyne-Lotrimin, continue to have strong enthusiasts among pharmacists and consumers alike, despite the fact that several lower-priced products have landed in the category scene.

New species aside, Towne-Oller reports that Monistat 7 and Gyne-Lotrimin still account for 67.9% of the $87.5 million vaginal yeast infection treatment market in food stores.

Monistat 7 and Gyne-Lotrimin continue to lead the category because brand loyalty is a critical factor in the yeast infection treatment category, says Neil Shah, a pharmacist at Fiesta Mart in Houston, "especially when women have used it as a prescription. They don't want to change."

"If they're using Monistat, they'll stay with it. They won't use another brand," agrees Joseph Leyo 3rd, pharmacy manager at Leyo's IGA Foodliner in Coalport, Pa. He says the early introductions of Monistat and Gyne-Lotrimin have helped them maintain their market share.

"Some people look at the price, but others just don't care. [The latter] see Monistat advertised and that's what they want," Leyo adds. "The lower-priced ones are doing OK, but the higher-priced ones are moving better. It's the brand name that gets them."

Advertising also plays an important role in the success of yeast infection cure sales, pharmacists say.

"There is only product loyalty with regard to advertising, and that's probably the main factor. I think Monistat still sells the best of all OTC yeast infection products," says Bob Maresh, pharmacy manager at Shop-N-Bag's pharmacy in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Shawn Hartwell, staff pharmacist for a P&C Food Markets unit in Cicero, N.Y., says that lower-priced cures have whittled away at Monistat 7's lead, but not a lot, because "once consumers are used to using a product like Monistat 7, they'll stay with it." The lower-priced cures include Miles Inc.'s Mycelex-7, Schering-Plough Healthcare's FemCare and Lake Pharmaceuticals' recently launched Femizol-7.

The steady pecking of the low-priced products can be seen in Towne-Oller's vaginal yeast infection treatment category ranking in food stores for the 12 months that ended in February 1994. While the category's unit sales rose 8%, dollar volume remained flat.

Ranked by brand, Monistat maintained a strong 46.2% share of the category, followed by Gyne-Lotrimin's 21.7%. But Monistat's dollar volume fell 9% over the past year, and Gyne-Lotrimin's plummeted 20%.

Mycelex-7 sales soared 159% in the last year. The brand now accounts for 14.1% of the category, followed by FemCare's 5.4% share.

With its "value" pricing strategy, Mycelex-7 has bulled its way to the head of the pack in geographic areas where price is more of a consideration. "Mycelex-7 is the best seller in our store, which is a price-conscious store," says Jim Haislet, staff pharmacist at a Yoke's Washington Foods store in Verdale, Wash.

Despite sales differences, supermarket pharmacists say they consider most brands nearly equal in effectiveness. As a result, many will recommend low-priced or on-sale yeast infection cures when queried by unsure customers.

"We get a lot of questions. People look and see three or four different brand names there. I don't feel there's a lot of difference between them, so usually I'll recommend the one that's on sale," says Hartwell. "The most often asked question is about the price and the comparableness of generic and brand-name," agrees Haislet. "The generics work just as well. Nobody's convinced me yet that they don't. And sometimes the generic brand costs a lot less." "Customers are mainly wondering which ones are out there, how they compare and if it will take care of their problems," says Scott Haslam, owner and pharmacist at Winegar's Supermarkets/United Drug pharmacy in Bountiful, Utah.

Pharmacists say promotions are a major factor in moving yeast infection cures.

"Rebates and coupons work well," says Haislet. "Sometimes when there's a rebate on the brand name, we'll sell those, because they're the ones women see on TV more often and the rebate usually brings them to within $1 or $1.50 of the lower-priced products. If the manufacturers have the coupons out there, the products seem to do well. When they don't, they're kind of stagnant."

"Ads, rebates and coupons work well," agrees Shah of Fiesta Mart, "especially the stick-on rebates, although customers hate the mail-order. They want their money right away. They don't want to wait for it."

"We find [store and manufacturer] advertising to be even more effective than couponing," says Maresh of Shop-N-Bag. "A lot of the marketing doesn't even compare or present one product as better than another. And seeing they're all equal, what it comes down to is the manufacturers with the most advertising seem to have the best product sales. Plus those with the right price or offering coupons."

Most pharmacists find that women ask fewer questions on how and when to use yeast infection cures than when the products first switched. But the role of a pharmacist in assisting women is still quite important, especially because more women than ever are buying the products based on self-diagnosis.

"Usually by the time they have purchased it, either they know what they want or they'll ask their questions about the different products, in which case you can give them a little info on the condition it's for," says Maresh. "But most of the time they know what they're getting it for. "In general, I'd say most [consumers] are women who have had a yeast infection in the past and may have used the product recommended by their doctor," he continues. "So they're comfortable with the product now and they're more or less diagnosing the condition on their own, based on their past history."

Ed Eleazer, manager and head pharmacist at Giant Food World Pharmacy in Neeses, S.C., a part of Service Drugs Inc., says if a customer asks him questions about a yeast infection cure, he will usually ask questions of his own to make sure the woman is using the product properly.

"There is some overuse, but it's not as bad as one might think. It's not like some of the other stuff that's been converted to over-the-counter," he adds. "Women are becoming better informed. These gals talk to each other. But if it fails to work, I insist that they see a physician."

Leyo notes the high price of yeast infection cures is a deterrent to overuse.

While Haislet agrees he has seen very few cases of overuse or chronic usage, he says he tries to remain alert for potential problems that his customers might encounter.

"I've always felt that most women, especially those 30 or over, know when they have a yeast infection," he says. "When I see what I would consider to be young ladies asking about it, I always tell them they should have a diagnosis first. Physician diagnosis is definitely something I recommend to customers, especially younger women." To help women feel more comfortable about asking questions, most pharmacies stock yeast infection cures close by. While theft of these products has often been a reason for stocking them behind or near the pharmacy counter, most pharmacists say shoplifting does not seem to be a major issue anymore.

"We can see customers looking at the products and trying to decide, and a lot of times we'll give them help or advice," says Leyo, who places the yeast infection cures across from the pharmacy register.

"They're stocked right out front, next to the prescription counter," Eleazer says of the yeast infection cures at Giant Food World.

"[We keep the products on] shelves that are right up against the pharmacy counter but they're still customer-accessible. It gives them accessibility to the pharmacy if they need to ask any questions," Maresh says.

The introduction of Femizol-7 and perhaps other products raises the question of whether there is room for another yeast infection cure.

"We don't need it. But depending on the cost, and if they're advertising it and couponing it, consumers will buy it. And then you've got to have it," says Leyo.

A new product can only survive if it is priced low enough, adds Haslam.

As the product category matures, retailers may be willing to make room for a private-label product. Private label, a strong force in many supermarket HBC categories, hasn't gotten out of the nest yet in the vaginal yeast infection category, accounting for a modest 2.1% dollar volume share. Part of that share includes vaginal itch relief products, so their overall share of yeast infection cures is even smaller.

"We tried private label once. It didn't seem to sell as well, despite a substantial price difference of 40% or 50%," recalls Maresh.