Bartell Drugs

4PM - Feliks Banel: Will anything change when Bartell Drugs isn’t local anymore? // Health care workers and long-term care facility residents should get Covid-19 vaccine first // Rachel Belle: No game days. No bars. The pandemic is forcing some men to realize they need deeper friendships // Your Home-Office Ergonomics Are Still a Mess — Do Something About ItSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feliks Banel on the future of Bartell Drugs, based on past acquisitions // Pam Falk live on the UK Pfizer vaccine // Dose of Kindness -- 10 years of "toy drive central" // Gee Scott on Wednesday Afternoon Football // Rachel Belle on the incoming White House cat/ home office ergonomicsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1890, Seattle was a city of about 42,000 people trying to recover from a destructive fire the year before. That’s when a 21-year-old man from Kansas named George H. Bartell, Sr., bought a pharmacy in Seattle’s Central District and launched his eponymous company, Bartell Drugs.

During the initial phase of the pandemic, essential items were considered to be things like food, hand sanitizer and of course, toilet paper. But as the stay-at-home orders began to span months, the definition of what was essential has shifted. Now it includes products that keep us occupied, that help us to work and learn from home, things that help us to prepare meals, and many of these products fall under the general merchandise umbrella.  In this podcast, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Howie Cohen, General Merchandise Category Manager for Bartell Drugs, about how their consumers' shopping activity around general merchandise has changed over the past few months. They also discuss how the stay-at-home orders hae impacted Howie's day-to-day activities as a category manager, and the role virtual has played in them. And since he also participated in ECRM's recent Pet Virtual Session, we talk about his experience using the platform, and the opportunities it presents for him in sourcing products in other GM segments, as well. This is actually Joe's third interview with Howie, who is just an all-around awesome guy, and you'll not only find this discussion informative, but very entertaining, as well.  Click here to read the blog post Click here to watch the video interview on YouTube Click here to see the list of ECRM's category-specific virtual sessions.

Hannah Kubiak, Communications Manager for Bartell Drugs gets us updated on all things Teddy Bear. First, to say this is now called: Operation Teddy Bear due to an expansion of reaching out to schools and counselors. Hannah also brings the good news that the time line has been extended--until Sunday April 12! What a great Easter gift, have our kids participate in donating teddy bear hugs to other kids! What has not changed is that Bartell Drugs matches each teddy bear purchased--a truly great deal! And considering there could be more need than ever this year, the goal to exceed the 2019 collection of 49,000 teddy bears is so understandable. This certainly is a great way to do 'something' when we might be at a loss of what to do!www.bartelldrugs.com