Kum & Go Honors Lil' Drug Store Products for Collaboration

DES MOINES, Iowa — Kum & Go LC named Lil' Drug Store Products, a health and beauty care (HBC) supplier to the U.S. convenience store industry, its 2016 Category Manager of the Year. The c-store retailer gives this annual special recognition 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 based on its excellent customer service and above average category growth rate in the past year. Lil' Drug Store worked closely with Kum & Go category manager Richard Ginther to develop a solid growth plan, the company said.

"Our approach included consumer research and category sales analysis to help us better understand convenience channel shopper trends," stated Ginther. "We also made it a priority to agree on strategies that tied to Kum & Go's business objectives."

This collaboration led to several key updates to Kum & Go's HBC category, including the decision to prioritize product placement of value sizes within the HBC shelf set. Both companies also saw an opportunity to offer more private label choices to Kum & Go shoppers, and these merchandising strategies contributed to significant HBC category growth at the c-store chain.

"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."

West Des Moines-based Kum & Go operates 430 c-stores in 11 states.