“The goal is to generate awareness that these brands are African American-owned – and to generate sales, quite honesty,” David Littleton, sales director for Nicene Brands, said of Walgreens’ new Community Corner program, which is designed to highlight minority-owned businesses as a Black History Month promotion.
Based in St. Louis, Nicene Brands markets and distributes health and beauty products. Two of its brands, Porcelana Skin Cream and Topol Toothpaste, are included in Walgreens’ Community Corner program.
The brands may be owned and marketed by a firm that is owned by African Americans (Kelvin Taylor is Nicene’s CEO), but Littleton emphasized the market for these products is not niche.
“It’s a toothpaste and a skin cream,” Littleton said. “Our consumer base is not segmented, not just for the ethnic community but all people.”
That might be seen as appropriate for Black History Month – a time when the mainstream community is encouraged to consider the reality of African Americans.
“People of all races can support minority-owned brands,” Littleton said.
Community Corner is the brainchild of Gleatha Glispie, who is a St. Louis native like Littleton. Glispie is director of supplier diversity for Walgreens.
“She is taking the lead on really trying to support minority and women suppliers within the Walgreens system,” Littleton said of Glispie.
“She pulled in roughly 25 vendors for this program in a short period of time.”
The other brands featured in Community Corner are African Royale Hot Six Oil, Angelica’s Cakes, Bronner Brothers Pump It Up! Spritz, Evolve Purse Size Styling Brush, High Time Bump Stopper-2 Razor Bump Treatment, Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel, Luster’s Pink Oil Moisturizer, Mix Match Gourmet Popcorn, Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil No-Lye Relaxer Kit, Pepsom Sports Epsom Salt, Reggio’s Pizza, Rejuvenizer Diabetic Sock, Richard’s Ice Cream, Sheenique Relaxer, Stay Smooth No-Bump Gel, Ultra Sheen Relaxer Pack, WavEnforcer Premium Do-Rag and 2010 Black History Calendar.
Six African American-owned magazines – Ebony, Black Enterprise, Jet, The Source, Sister to Sister and Upscale – are also be featured. Walgreens in St. Louis always carries The St. Louis American as one of the paper’s key distribution points.
“Walgreen is working to improve the diversity of its vendors, and Nicene stood out,” said Lee Neyland, marketing manager for Nicene.
“Gleatha was looking for events to highlight diversity and give smaller brands a chance, because the big guys come in dominate. Black History Month was the perfect timing to kick something off.”
Walgreens plans to expand the program to feature products of businesses owned by women, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans at different points throughout the year.
Glispie sees the program as an opportunity for the community to use its purchasing power in a constructive way.
“Providing a platform such as Community Corner to showcase these vendors creates an opportunity for consumers to instantly influence economic growth in their communities,” Glispie said.
“Walgreens outreach programs foster an environment that enhances the development of a diverse group of entrepreneurs. We plan to promote wider vendor participation throughout the year, and in this way help support the economic base of the communities we serve across our 7,100 stores.”
The minority vendor community has responded with praise.
“Giving shoppers the ability to identify and support diverse business is an innovative approach that I believe can have a lasting impact on the growth and continued success of these companies,” said National Minority Supplier Development Council President Harriet R. Michel.
Neyland, who earned his MBA at Washington University, said Walgreens has been supportive in general of the company’s efforts. The CEO was invited to highlight Nicene products at a Walgreens shareholder meeting in Chicago. Neyland said Porcelana is in 6,800 Walgreens stores and Topol will be shelved in half of Walgreens stores by March.
Littleton said the company, which has five full-time employees, had “a very successful year in 2009, despite the economy.
“We are growing our brand,” he said.
Though the company is based in St. Louis, it out-sources its production on contract, which is not unusual. Topol is manufactured in Buffalo and Porcelana in California.
“We have had an existing relationship with Walgreens for two years, but they are strengthening their efforts in the supplier diversity department, Littleton said.
“All it can do is have a positive impact.”
For more information on Walgreens Supplier Diversity visit www.Walgreens.com/diversity/oursuppliers and shop for Community Corner products online at www.Walgreens.com/cc.
