ANALGESIC OUTPOSTS BOOST SALES AT K-VA-T STORES

MARK HAMSTRA

ABINGDON, Va. -- K-VA-T here has seen its sales of pain medications double after it added space for the products in the feminine care sections of all 87 of its supermarkets.

"I feel it made it more of a complete category," said Richard Gunn, category manager for health and beauty care and general merchandise, K-VA-T. "They get all of their feminine care needs, plus all that pain medication."

He said the chain began adding about 20 specialty pain-relief items in the feminine care section several months ago, and then followed by adding about 12 to 15 specialty analgesics in the baby care section.

To make room for the additional products -- which, he pointed out, require little space -- Gunn said the stores just "tightened up" those sections and added a shelf for the pain medications.

In addition to boosting analgesic sales, the move also has boosted the profitability of the sections because of the popularity of the chain's high-margin private-label pain medications under the Top Care brand, according to Gunn.

Jon Hauptman, vice president, Bishop Consulting, Barrington, Ill., said the strategy could have more far-reaching benefits than improving analgesic sales.

"What they are effectively doing is establishing themselves as a destination for health and beauty care solutions, rather than just a store that sells health care and beauty care products," he said. "It's a great way to differentiate."