CVS partners with FLEX to bring comfortable, high-performance, eco-friendly period products to shoppers in over 5,000 CVS stores
Image: CVS and FLEX are partnering to bring eco-friendly period products to shoppers. Photo: courtesy of PRNewsfoto/The Flex Company.
In a joint effort to innovate for period health, retail giant CVS and direct-to-consumer brand, FLEX, are partnering to bring comfortable, high-performance, eco-friendly period products to shoppers in over 5,000 CVS stores nationwide.
According to recent June 2019 syndicated retail sales data, traditional tampon unit sales are down 4.3% year over year across drug retailers. Category growth is being driven by alternative period products, including innovation led by FLEX in cups and discs.
Additionally, industry reports do not yet capture the unprecedented growth of online sales of alternative period products like FLEX Discs and the FLEX Cup. With changing consumer attitudes and behaviors toward alternative period products, retailers like CVS are starting to recognize the gap in physical distribution and are taking swift action to meet the growing demand by consumers.
The Flex Company launched its first period product, the FLEX Disc, in late 2016. It quickly developed a devoted and engaged consumer following and has grown to be a top performing direct-to-consumer brand.
FLEX has quadrupled its business over the past two years and continues to experience dramatic growth with its DTC channel still generating more than half of company revenue. With this partnership, CVS has the opportunity to bring in a younger, passionate demographic of consumers into their stores every month.
“As an online brand, we’ve learned that many people naturally shop for period products while they’re on their period, which means they cannot always wait for a delivery. CVS is listening to their customers by providing people access to popular, eco-friendly products like FLEX when they need it most,” said Lauren Schulte Wang, founder and CEO of The Flex Company.
Since its retail debut in April 2019, FLEX products have greatly expanded distribution. Products created by The Flex Company are now available in over 20,000 retail stores across the U.S.
By launching the FLEX line into CVS stores nationwide, CVS is strategically fulfilling an untapped market need for making leading alternative period products available on-demand.
“Data show that most people have used the same period product for most of their lives due to lack of choice. There’s growing consumer demand for performance-driven products that are healthier, more comfortable, and more eco-friendly than traditional period products. I started FLEX because I was suffering from yeast infections from tampons and couldn’t find a period product that worked for me. CVS is a natural partner for us because they genuinely care about their shoppers; they understand that providing more options for period products will lead to better health outcomes,” said Wang.
CVS Health and The Flex Company share a mission for helping people on their path to better health.
Source: Company Press Release