Edgewell Reinvents the Sun Care Aisle at Walgreens

Shelton, Conn. — In an effort to better educate consumers on proper sun care and to inspire shoppers in the category, Edgewell Personal Care (formerly Energizer Personal Care) has reinvented the sun care aisle.“We developed the aisle reinvention for two flagship stores of one of our drug retailers [Walgreens],” says Michael Law, senior director, customer strategy and planning. “The aisle is illuminated by down lighting and back lighting, drawing attention to the product category and making a subtle reference to sunlight. A water theme is pronounced throughout the aisle, with turquoise colors, wave-shaped shelf fronts and back-panel graphics.”The new sun care aisle made its debut at Walgreens’ flagship store in Orlando, Florida, in October 2014, and a second installation followed at a store in Honolulu in February 2015. Created for Edgewell by P-O-P design firm Mechtronics of Beacon, New York, the display received a gold award in the 2015 OMAs.The graphics and sound effects virtually transport shoppers to the beach, while interactive messaging educates them about sunscreen protection. “The illumination of the display with LED lighting was a challenge,” says Mechtronics director of new business development Michael Mele, “but we knew it would be the best way to call attention to the category and inspire sun care users with aspirational and informative graphics.”A video loop invites shoppers to use a digital application featured on a large monitor in the center of the aisle. The app is designed to aid shoppers in their purchase decisions by suggesting products specifically appropriate to local conditions. “Based on the local UV index, the app recommends a sun protection factor [SPF] value and displays corresponding products,” says Law. “Users can then browse and compare product features and benefits within the chosen SPF.”Within the first two weeks of the aisle’s installation, the Orlando store saw a 43% sales increase across the entire category and an 86% sales increase for Edgewell brands Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat. Walgreens is planning to install the aisle in other stores by the end of the year, says Mele, whose company also developed the digital application.“By simplifying and honing the amount of information we are looking to communicate, we make our usage information digestible and memorable.”Edgewell has a multi-year strategy that focuses on existing light and medium sunscreen users in the short term, says Law, while the long-term strategy targets non-users. “There is enormous growth potential in the sun care category that can be achieved through educating people on the need for and how to use sunscreen properly,” he says. “Sun care is a $1.2 billion category, but household penetration is only 43% and has been relatively stagnant for more than a decade.”Edgewell looked at the types of outdoor activities people engage in and the various technological tools they use to enhance those activities, and then developed messaging for those digital touchpoints to drive consumers into stores. This would include incorporating sun care alerts and reapplication reminders into fitness apps and weather apps where they could become part of people’s everyday outdoor activities.The manufacturer’s messaging approach for in-store was more straightforward, explains Law. “Our in-store messaging strategy focuses on two key behaviors,” he says. “Applying the correct amount of sunscreen, and how frequently it should be reapplied. By communicating these two messages, we are able to grow the category through increased usage.“With everything in-store designed to ‘interrupt’ the shopping experience, we created an approach that emotionally connects with people and inspires them to pay attention. By simplifying and honing the amount of information we are looking to communicate, we make our usage information digestible and memorable.”Edgewell’s vendor partners for the project have included IN Marketing Services, Norwalk, Connecticut, and AMP, Boston.

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