Lil’ Drug Store Products Awarded 2016 Category Manager of the Year by Kum & Go Convenience Store Chain

DES MOINES, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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, one of the leading convenience store chains in the
country. This special recognition 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 better
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. “Our success with 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).

Contacts

For Lil’ Drug Store
Brad Ginsburg, 646-964-4446
bradg@gcomworks.com