IBUPROFEN BRANDS' DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES GROWTH IN 1992

IBUPROFEN BRANDS' DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES GROWTH IN 1992 in both food and drug outlets represented the fastest-growing segment in the OTC analgesic marketplace, according to a report from Information Resources' subsidiary Towne-Oller. The 1992 year-end report, entitled "Highlights & Trends of Health & Beauty Care in Food Stores and Drug Stores," notes that ibuprofen sales grew 12% last year in food stores versus 2% growth for all OTC analgesics, and increased 10% in drug stores compared to 5% for all analgesics. Ibuprofen products captured 24.1% of analgesic sales in retail food outlets in 1992, which represented a $ 1.3 bil. market. The sales increase translated into a gain of 2.2 share points over 1991. Ibuprofen's share of drug store OTC analgesic sales increased one market share point to 22.6% of the just over $ 1 bil. market, according to Towne-Oller. Based on the data in the report, ibuprofen-containing OTC analgesics generated combined food and drug store sales of approximately $ 545 mil. in 1992, netting roughly 23.4% of the $ 2.32 bil. analgesic market. Acetaminophen-containing analgesics lost some market share in food stores to ibuprofen products but increased market share in drug stores. The Towne-Oller data show that acetaminophen sales grew 7% in drug stores last year, increasing market share by .9 percentage points to 45.4%. In food stores, acetaminophen analgesic sales grew 2% with market share slipping to 47.3%, from 47.5% in 1991. The market share figures translate to over $ 450 mil. in drug store sales for acetaminophen products and about $ 620 mil. in food store sales last year. Nearly all of the ibuprofen market share gain was at the expense of aspirin-based analgesics and aspirin compounds. In food stores, aspirin compound sales declined 5% in 1992 and market share declined from a year-earlier 19.6% to 18.2%. Aspirin sales declined 3% in food stores with market share falling one half of a percentage point to 10.4%. In drug stores, aspirin sales grew 4% last year; however, market share edged down slightly to 15.5%, from 15.7% in 1991. Those figures translate into drug store sales of about $ 150 mil. and food store sales of $ 137 mil. in 1992. Analgesics continue to be the leading OTC/H&BA category sold in both food and drug stores, according to Towne-Oller. The total 1992 U.S. health and beauty care dollar volume was projected to be $ 13.3 bil. in food stores and $ 13.5 bil. in drug stores. Anti-gas products are one of the fastest growing segments in the antacid market, according to the Towne-Oller data. Sales for products marketed as antiflatulents increased by 42% in food stores and 13% in drug stores in 1992. Antiflatulents share of the $ 395.5 mil. food store antacid market was 5.7%, up 1.5 percentage points, while share in the $ 372.8 mil. drug store market was 12.8%, up one share point. In addition, drug store sales of antacids with simethicone grew 20% in 1992 and commanded a 12.7% share of the $ 372.8 mil. market, up 1.7 share points from 1991. Sales of simethicone- containing antacids grew more slowly in food stores -- increasing 15% to about $ 45 mil. and an 11.3% market share. Enzyme-based antacid sales grew 55% in food stores and garnered a 4.5% market share (up from 3% in 1991); the products increased 21% in drug stores, earning a 9.9% market share (up from 8.5%). Sales of OTC antacids grew 4% in 1992 in both food and drug store outlets to about $ 770 mil. combined. Sales of antidiarrheals -- a smaller, but faster growing market measured in dollars -- grew 21% in food stores to $ 65.3 mil. and 15% in drug stores to $ 78.1 mil., according to Towne-Oller. Caplets are the fastest growing dosage form segment, increasing sales by 44% in food stores and 34% in drug stores last year, and hold a 53.1% share of the food store market and 54.4% share of the drug store market. Baking soda dentifrices dollar volume rose 69% in 1992, making the segment one of the health and beauty care top dollar gainers in food and drug stores combined, Towne-Oller reported. Baking soda dentifrices accounted for 14.3% of the overall dentifrice 1992 sales of $ 835.5 mil. in food stores, or about $ 120 mil. In drug stores, the baking soda category captured a 16.1% share (or approximately $ 50 mil.) of projected 1992 dentifrice sales of $ 310.6 mil. Sales of baking soda dentifrices grew 61% in food stores and 93% in drug stores in 1992. Whiteners, another category in the dentifrices segment, was one of the top gainers in dollar share in both food and drug stores. The category leaped 301% in food stores, generating 1.7% (or about $ 14.2 mil.) of the dentifrices segment projected volume, and climbed 42% in drug stores to 9.8% (or $ 30.4 mil.) of projected volume. Desensitizing products also gained dollar share in both food and drug stores, up 7% and 17% in sales, respectively. Baking soda dentifrices, whiteners and desensitizing products gained dollar share from traditional dentifrices and traditional anti-stain products, which posted decreases in dollar share in food and drug stores in 1992. Traditional dentifrices, accounting for the majority of volume in the dentifrices segment, was down 4% in food stores and 2% in drug stores. A smaller category, traditional anti-stain products, dropped 19% and 15% in food and drug stores, respectively. Sunscreens with SPFs of 16 and higher recorded dollar share gains of 15% and 21% in food and drug stores, respectively, accounting for half of the overall sunscreens segment projected 1992 volume of $ 66.2 mil. in food stores and $ 90.7 mil. in drug stores. SPF 15 sunscreens dropped 6% in food stores but gained 2% in dollar share in drug stores. The category holds about a third of the sunscreens segment dollar share. The smallest category in the segment, sunscreens with SPFs ranging from 5 to 14, was flat in food stores but rose 17% in drug stores.