Lil' Drug Named Category Manager of the Year by Kum & Go

Sep 1, 2016

Des Moines, Iowa - (September 1, 2016) Lil' Drug Store Products, the #1 Health and Beauty Care (HBC) supplier to U.S. Convenience stores, was named 2016 Category Manager of the Year by Kum & Go. The special recognition from Kum & Go, one of the leading convenience store chains in the country, is given annually to one supplier that has demonstrated positive category leadership and made a strong impact on retail sales. Kum & Go management voted for Lil' Drug Store Products to win the award over several other companies based on the supplier's excellent customer service and above average category growth rate in the past year.

Lil' Drug Store Products worked closely with Kum & Go category manager Richard Ginther to develop a solid growth plan. "Our approach included consumer research and category sales analysis to help us understand convenience channel shopper trends," said Ginther. "We also made it a priority to agree on strategies that tied to Kum & Go's business objectives."

The collaboration led to several key updates to Kum & Go's Health and Beauty Care category. One of the biggest changes was the decision to prioritize product placement of value sizes within the Health and Beauty Care shelf set. Both groups also saw an opportunity to offer more private label choices for Kum & Go shoppers. These merchandising strategies contributed to significant HBC category growth at Kum & Go, which is currently trending 5 times above the industry average sales growth rate.

"The Category Management Award from Kum & Go is truly a great honor for us at Lil' Drug Store Products. We pride ourselves in developing partnerships that deliver results for retailers," said Michelle Ridder, Category Manager at Lil' Drug Store Products. "Kum & Go is an excellent example of what we can accomplish when we work together as a team to achieve a common goal."

Founded in 1974, Cedar Rapids, Iowa based Lil' Drug Store Products is a leading distributor of products to the convenience channel. Lil' Drug has established a long track record of success at growing sales for retailers in a wide variety of categories.

For more than 55 years, Kum & Go has been dedicated to the communities it serves, sharing 10 percent of its profits with charitable causes. The fifth-largest, privately held and company-operated convenience store chain in the U.S, Kum & Go is an industry pioneer founded on providing exceptional service and delivering more than what customers expect. Established in Hampton, Iowa in 1959, family-owned Kum & Go has since grown to employ about 4,700 associates across more than 400 stores and 11 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming).

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