Marvel And Walgreens Combine Forces For A New Team-Up

Marvel Entertainment Inc. and Walgreen Co. signed a deal to create a line of toys and food products based on Marvel's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Hulk.

The merchandise, made specifically for the drugstore chain, is slated to arrive at the Deerfield-based company's 6,000-plus drugstores in the spring of 2010, according to Walgreens representative Tiffani Washington.

The agreement comes as Walgreens is in the midst of a makeover, aiming to boost its in-house brands, reduce its array of products and simplify store layouts.

Walgreens began testing a new store format at 35 locations this spring. The pilot stores are designed to make it easier for consumers to shop. They have lower shelves so shoppers can see across the store and new signs that better mark product locations.

The merchandise also is reorganized around needs. For example, everything needed to whiten teeth, from whitening toothpaste to whitening mouthwash to whitening strips, is in one place.

"We got to the point where we were trying to anticipate too many consumer needs," Washington said. "We had so much to choose from, we complicated the shopping process."

Source: Sandra M. Jones @ Chicago Tribune