Haleon Reports Sales Growth from GLP-1 Side-Effect Relief Products in US
Consumer healthcare firm partners with CVS to place products in dedicated GLP-1 aisles
Quick Look
- Haleon is boosting US sales by marketing over-the-counter products for GLP-1 weight-loss drug side effects.
- By partnering with CVS to create dedicated in-store displays, the company reports a 24% sales lift for items like TUMS and Advil.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
GLP-1 medications are increasingly used for weight loss but often cause gastrointestinal side effects. Retailers are adapting store layouts to capture demand for symptom management products.
Consumer healthcare business Haleon has reported increasing United States sales for products aimed at mitigating the side-effects of weight-loss drugs, taking advantage of the growing market for GLP-1 treatments.
Medications like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy as well as Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Foundayo assist individuals with weight loss by mimicking a specific hormone that maintains a feeling of fullness in the stomach.
Reported side-effects linked to these GLP-1 medications include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Additionally, some patients experience abdominal pain along with severe stomach cramps.
Haleon, which manufactures Advil pain relievers, TUMS antacid tablets, and Biotène oral gels, stated that it is collaborating with US retailers like CVS Pharmacy to display its inventory in tailored GLP-1 spaces in addition to traditional store aisles.
"Dual placement in core aisles and GLP-1 destination sets delivers an average 24% sales lift per store," a Haleon spokesperson said regarding the previously unannounced approach, adding that the growth was observed during the first quarter of the year.
"Haleon holds the majority of GLP-1 shelf space at CVS," the spokesperson added, explaining that curated items positioned on dedicated GLP-1 displays are currently outperforming identical items in locations lacking those dedicated displays.
Approximately 11 percent of people in the United States currently use GLP-1 weight-loss medications, according to data published by analytics firm Gallup.
"CVS Pharmacy has expanded its product assortment and is highlighting CVS brand and national brand over-the-counter products to help make managing side effects easier," the pharmacy chain said in an official statement, without directly responding to Haleon's comments.
The London-listed health firm has also initiated talks with major retail chains Walmart and Target regarding its in-store GLP-1 strategy, though the spokesperson declined to provide details on the results of those discussions.
Open Questions
- Will Walmart and Target adopt similar GLP-1 display strategies?
- How will other competitors respond to Haleon's shelf-space dominance?
