DALLAS – 7-Eleven announced this week that the convenience-store chain will soon begin selling its own brand of over-the-counter medications. The new 7-Select line will include non-prescription drug treatments for pain, cold and flu, allergy, gastrointestinal upset, cough, sore throat, sleep aids and children’s medications.

“Just like when our customers are hungry or thirsty, if they come to our stores feeling ill, they have an immediate need they want fixed fast,” Rebecca Frechette, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising, said in a press release. “With the new 7-Select high-quality alternatives to popular OTC drugs, we can offer them relief from their ailment with great products at value prices.”

According to 7-Eleven sources, the price savings on the company’s private label medications may be as much as 85% over comparable name brands.

According to NACS State of the Industry data, the health and beauty care (HBC) category made up 1.3% of in-store sales in 2013, and 24.2% of HBC sales are from the remedies subcategory, including analgesics (10.01%), cough and cold (8.2%) and stomach (6.0%). For best practices on merchandising this category, read “A Steady Standby” in the August 2014 issue of NACS Magazine.