Attractive merchandising and constant promotion is vital to the success of private-label beauty care, according to experts.

“The drug retailers who have been successful [with private-label skin and bath] are the ones that corporately get behind the line,” said Valerie Stricker, vice president of sales for CBI Laboratories, which manufactures private label for Eckerd and American Drug Stores, among others. “They promote it. They advertise it. They take pride in it.”

“Drug stores develop brand loyalty through their private-label program,” said Colleen Booth, national account manager for CBI. “The consumer has to come back to them to buy that brand. At first, what draws them is the unique packaging and design.”

“It has to pop off the shelf,” said Stricker. “Drug stores need shelf-talkers and marketing collateral to educate the consumer. There’s not someone to do that in a drug store like there is in department stores and specialty stores. The packaging becomes important. It has to have a high-quality look and a nice design,” Stricker said.

High-quality private-label skin and bath programs attract shoppers in search of value and help distinguish drug stores from the competition.