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SAN FRANCISCO — McKesson Corp. has rolled out a line of Health Mart branded vitamins for the more than 2,900 independently owned pharmacies that operate under that banner.
In conjunction with the rollout the company has launched the 2012 Vitamin Finder on its website.
Executives explain that the Vitamin Finder provides consumers with access to a personalized wellness-driven vitamin-recommendation tool. Nearly 80% of consumers, they note, prefer to use the Internet to research nutrition products.
According to Symphony IRI Group Inc., vitamins are a $3.3 billion category and have grown by nearly 5% over the past year. Store brand vitamins account for more than a quarter of that volume.
“As more Americans choose to take control of their health, vitamins are becoming an increasingly important part of their daily routines,” McKesson vice president of retail marketing Matt Lowe says.
“Vitamin consumers are savvy shoppers that read and compare labels,” he notes. “We are excited to offer a full line of high-quality vitamins and supplements and expect the new Vitamin Finder to be a valuable tool to help Health Mart customers find the vitamin products that most closely meet their needs in terms of formula, count size and dosage form.”
The rollout of the vitamin line is the latest addition to the line of private label products bearing the Health Mart name.
The company made its first foray into store brands with the launch of diabetes care products in November. Since then it has added smoking-cessation and analgesics products.
McKesson says it plans to add private label products in more health care categories throughout the year.
Health Mart store owners say the growing roster of store brands is helping draw customers into their stores.
“There is no question that value is playing a major role in consumers’ buying decisions, even when it comes to health-related products,” says Jennifer Harrison, who runs a Health Mart store in Easton, Md.
