60 Chain Drug Review/August 17, 2009

MERCHANDISING/personal care

Toothbrush makers step up marketing, R&D efforts

NEW YORK — A flurry of so that it can be gently swept soft materials that are comfort-
product and marketing activity away, she explains. able to hold.”
is raising hopes for a revitaliza- After rinsing the toothbrush Dr. Scott Fine, a New York
tion of the toothbrush market in under running water, the user City dentist, notes: “Bacterial
drug stores. touches a small silver strip on plaque causes tooth decay, gin-
In late spring, for example, the handle and brushes nor- givitis and other periodontal
Global Ionics LLC launched the mally. Touching the silver strip diseases, and some studies in-
Ionic ProClean toothbrush. The allows the body’s natural en- dicate a possible link to cardiac
product uses long-established ergy to complete the circuit. A health. The Ionic ProClean can
ionic technology that has been red light on the handle confirms make an enormous difference in
proven to remove more plaque that the circuit is complete and personal dental hygiene.”
with less effort, according to a the ionic action is working. And there is the Colgate Wisp,
company spokeswoman. “Scientists have known about a disposable mini-toothbrush
Ionic ProClean was introduced the importance of polarity for a with a breath-freshening bead.
“at a fraction of the price of long time — it’s a well-known The product, which can be
comparable toothbrushes, mak- phenomenon,” says Global used without water or rinsing,
ing it an ideal product for reces- Ionics founder Ken Davidov. has unique bristles designed to
sion-minded consumers who “And while this technology has gently remove food and plaque
want a fresh-from-the-dentist been used in Asia and Europe from between teeth, according
feeling of clean,” she says. for years, this is the first ionic to manufacturer Colgate-Pal-
The product’s ionic technol- toothbrush designed for the molive Co . Smaller than lipstick year. “Whether a consumer is (P&G’s) Oral-B Vitality Sonic
ogy temporarily changes tooth North American and worldwide or a car key, the Wisp fits in a looking to freshen [his or her] Rechargeable. P&G earlier this
enamel to a positive charge, market that neatly encases all pocket or purse and is pack- breath after a meal or to remove year encouraged people across
which allows the force of polar- the elements into one hermeti- aged in a portable case. that filmy feeling after a cup the country to see the differ-
ity to loosen the bond of plaque cally sealed brush, made from “We are very excited to an- of coffee, Colgate now offers ence in their smile while mak-
nounce this breakthrough in- the perfect portable, effective ing a difference in children’s
novation and offer consumers solution.” smiles worldwide by using
a convenient way to both clean Brushing releases the liquid Oral-B toothbrushes. For every
manual toothbrushes and freshen their mouths on the breath freshener (peppermint, purchase of Oral-B and Crest
go,” Spencer Pingel of Colgate- spearmint or “cinnamint”) in products, the company made a
TOTAL DOLLAR SALES* $443.3 mil. (-7.5%) Palmolive U.S. oral care said this the bead. The suggested retail monetary and product donation
DRUG STORES $156.4 mil. (-6.1%) price is $2.39 for a four-pack and to Operation Smile to help give
Market Dollar sales Dollar sales
$7.99 for a 16-pack. new smiles to children in need.

Children In the power brush segment, A four-week study by den-

Leading brands** share (000) % change

Colgate 360 8.3% $13,032 - 13.6% Church & Dwight Co. launched tal health professionals at the
the $15 SpinBrush Sonic. Adver- University of Florida found that
get some
Oral-B Advantage Plus 7.4% 11,523 + 0.1%
Oral-B Indicator 6.8% 10,632 - 8.4% tisements for the product have using Crest Pro-Health tooth-
Oral-B CrossAction 5.7% 8,841 - 28.2% noted that sonic toothbrushes paste and rinse with the Oral-B
Oral-B Pulsar
Oral-B CrossAction Pro-Health
Reach Advanced Design
4.2%
3.5%
3.2%
6,541
5,443
5,050
- 12.5%
+ 159.5%
- 16.5%
guidance can be priced at more than
$100, but the SpinBrush Sonic
“offers sonic technology for a
Vitality Precision Clean power
toothbrush provided up to sev-
en times better plaque removal
NEW YORK — Ashtel Dental’s fraction of the cost.” than was achieved with a regu-
Colgate WISP 3.0% 4,694 N/A
Brush Buddies talking tooth- Another sonic toothbrush lar manual toothbrush and an-
Oral-B Advantage Artica 2.7% 4,151 - 3.5%
brush is an innovation in chil- priced in the under-$20 range ticavity toothpaste, according
Oral-B CrossAction Vitalizer 2.6% 4,036 - 43.6%
dren’s oral care, says chief ex- is Procter & Gamble Co.’s to P&G.
ecutive officer Anish Patel.
TOTAL UNIT SALES* 163.4 mil. (-7.8%) The product features a dog
DRUG STORES 51.9 mil. (-7.7%) character design and an amus-
Avg. price Unit sales Unit sales
ing voice that Patel says chil- power toothbrushes
Leading brands** per unit (000) % change dren will enjoy.
Oral-B Indicator $3.32 3,203 - 16.2% “But we have designed this TOTAL DOLLAR SALES* $222.3 mil. (-5.5%)
Colgate 360 4.50 2,896 - 19.0% product to be more than just DRUG STORES $85.2 mil. (- 0.3%)
Oral-B Advantage Plus 4.43 2,604 - 10.1% cute,” he says. Market Dollar sales Dollar sales
Colgate WISP 2.44 1,926 N/A Rather than focus strictly Leading brands** share (000) % change

Oral-B CrossAction 4.92 1,798 - 32.4%

on entertainment, the audio Oral-B Vitality 9.4% $8,021 - 8.7%
Reach Advanced Design 3.29 1,533 - 14.4%
played back through Brush Sonicare Essence 8.9% 7,542 + 14.3%
Buddies educates youngsters Crest SpinBrush Pro Clean 8.7% 7,374 + 7.7%
Oral-B Advantage Artica 3.62 1,145 - 1.2%
and encourages healthy brush- Oral-B Pulsar 6.4% 5,420 - 14.5%
Colgate Wave 2.57 1,039 - 24.9%
ing habits. The voice recording Crest SpinBrush Pro Whitening 5.9% 4,987 + 23.5%
Oral-B CrossAction Pro-Health 5.63 966 + 149.1%
plays for two minutes, letting Oral-B CrossAction Power Max 5.8% 4,932 - 33.9%
Oral-B Advantage 123 3.48 936 —
children know the recommend-
Colgate 360 5.4% 4,595 + 208.6%
ed brushing time. The audio
* Total of drug stores, supermarkets and discount stores excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Oral-B Professional Care 4.5% 3,836 - 5.9%
**In drug stores only. Private label products account for a 19.8% dollar share and a 30.4% unit share. also guides children to brush
Sonicare FlexCare 4.2% 3,595 + 872.3%
each section of their teeth,
Source: Information Resources Inc. For the 52 weeks ended July 12, 2009. Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Health 3.8% 3,201 - 23.1%
starting with the upper teeth.

TOTAL UNIT SALES* 23.8 mil. (-2.7%)

PL offerings enhanced by Rite Aid DRUG STORES 8.6 mil. (+0.5%)

Leading brands**
Avg. price
per unit
Unit sales
(000)
Unit sales
% change
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Capital- mer on the back of the cartridge “The launch of the M5 Mag- Crest SpinBrush Pro Clean $ 7.92 931 + 1.76%
izing on the appeal of store for a more accurate cut on side- num underscores Rite Aid’s Oral-B Pulsar 6.00 904 - 16.3%
brands, Rite Aid Corp. this year burns, on goatees and under commitment to providing our Crest SpinBrush Pro Whitening 7.32 681 + 21.8%
launched the M5 Magnum five- the nose. The razor also fea- customers with high-quality Colgate 360 7.06 651 + 162.4%
blade shaving system. tures a larger soap bar, a longer- products at up to 40% less Oral-B CrossAction Power Max 7.69 641 - 44.3%
The razor, which is billed as lasting lube strip with botanical than name brand equivalents,” Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Health 6.54 489 - 27.0%
offering a comparable shave to oils, and a 90-degree trimming Bryan Shirtliff, the chain’s se-
Oral-B Vitality 21.23 378 - 15.1%
leading brands, retails for $6.99, angle for premium performance. nior vice president of category
Colgate Nickelodeon SpongeBob 6.68 297 + 7.1%
or $3 less than the comparable Comfort and ease of use are fur- management, commented in
Sonicare Essence 71.24 106 + 32.0%
national brand. And purchasing ther enhanced by the M5 Mag- the spring.
Crest SpinBrush Pro Recharge 19.61 95 - 20.9%
the M5 Magnum’s lower-cost num’s ergonomic handle design “Consumers are ... realizing
replacement blades (at $7.99) with soft-grip raised ribs, which that they can experience the * Total of drug stores, supermarkets and discount stores excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
stretches the savings. was preferred by consumers same premium performance **In drug stores only. Private label products account for a 2.4% dollar share and a 3.8% unit share.
The M5 Magnum has five tita- in side-by-side testing against with more cost-efficient private
Source: Information Resources Inc. For the 52 weeks ended July 12, 2009.
nium-coated blades and a trim- leading name brands. brand products.”

p060_CDR_08-17-09 60 8/18/09 1:37 PM