NACDS announces new Total Store Expo meeting

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) recently announced a transformation of its conference program in order to bring business partners together in a more innovative conference environment.

In 2013, NACDS will unify its current NACDS Marketplace Conference, NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference, and NACDS Supply Chain & Logistics Conference into one new event, said Larry Merlo, NACDS chairman of the board and president and CEO of Caremark Corporation.

“The NACDS Total Store Expo will deliver the precision and personalization that members have come to expect from current NACDS conferences and will add the power of an unparalleled conference in our industry,” Merlo said. “After careful thought and study, we are convinced that the innovation we are announcing today will deliver even more power and value to the NACDS membership.”

The first NACDS Total Store Expo will be held August 10 to August 13, 2013, in Las Vegas, marking the 80th anniversary of the organization. The NACDS lineup of business meetings will continue to include the NACDS Regional Chain Conference and NACDS Annual Meeting in their current forms. For the remainder of 2011 and 2012, all NACDS meetings will proceed as scheduled.

Among the objectives of the new lineup of meetings are the following:

• To keep the focus on maintaining and even increasing the time and access that makes it possible for retailers and suppliers to do business.
• To create opportunities to address strategies across the store and across the industry, such as those related to health and wellness.
• To incorporate greater opportunities for discussion of topics such as supply chain and logistics, as these areas are being increasingly recognized as pivotal areas for managing costs and leveraging technology.
• To reflect the fact that the industry represented by NACDS continues to exert more influence on the nation’s economy.