Navarro Discount Pharmacies was founded in 1940 in Havana, Cuba and later opened its first U.S. store in 1961 in what would eventually become the heart of Miami’s ‘Little Havana’ community. Being the largest Hispanic-owned pharmacy chain in the country, the company naturally has had a leg up against the competition when marketing to the growing Hispanic population in South Florida. That hasn’t stopped it from coming up with innovative products through extensive market research.  This month, Navarro is celebrating the two year anniversary of its private label brand Vida Mia. Since its inception in January 2012 millions of the Vida Mia products have been sold, which target the Hispanic market through bilingual packaging and ingredient descriptions in both English and Spanish.

According to Chief Marketing Officer Christina Leon-Rivera, Navarro conducted extensive interviews with household decision makers in the 25 to 65 age group. The research findings represented a clear need for clarity on product packaging, as well as a need for lower priced, national brand equivalent product lines. The result was Vida Mia, which is now sold at all Navarro locations as well as on a wholesale basis throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean.  Approximately 1,000 different SKU’s are offered across a wide range of product categories including baby, HBC, household, and food.

Despite only operating 33 stores in the large Miami metro core-based statistical area, Navarro is impressively in the top 5 in prescription market share percentage. Walgreens and CVS both have huge presences in the Miami market, with each operating over 200 pharmacies.

MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-POMPANO BEACH, FL*
Metro CBSA

Navarro Discount Pharmacies Top 3 Zip Codes

*Source: Chain Store Guide 2013 Drug Industry Market Share Report. Current data represents fiscal 2012 and past year.