Davison-Designed Products Sold by Walgreens

As time goes on, Davison continues to add to its list of retailers at a rapid rate.  In August of 2011, Ross and Shop NBC were added to the list, bringing the total count of different stores that have carried Davison-designed products and packaging solutions to 1,000.  

“It started with an idea to get an invention to the stores one day,” said founder and CEO George Davison.  “The light at the end of the tunnel was so far away, I didn’t know if we’d ever reach it.   We climbed that hill, and we’re smashing through 1,000 stores today!”

One of the retail outlets that have sold multiple Davison-designed products is Walgreens. The Walgreen Co. was founded in 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. As of January 31^st, 2012 there are over 8,300 Walgreens locations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam.  With over 176,000 employees as of 2012 and annual revenue of over $71.63 billion, Walgreens is a huge provider for medicines, beauty supplies, and a variety of products.

Walgreens claims credit for its introduction of the malted milkshake in 1922, which coincided with the invention of the first electric blender that same year. Originally connected to local groceries, Walgreens began to introduce its business model of a freestanding pharmacy and basic goods store in 2009, modeling them after the “corner drugstores” of the past and including conveniences such as drive-through prescription filling.

One of Davison’s products, the Hot/Cold Therapy Braces for Wrists has been sold at Walgreens.  The product answers the needs of many who suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome and wrist injuries, and who had no convenient way to apply heat and cold to their aching wrists. The Hot/Cold Therapy Brace for Wrists offers a full 360 degrees of therapy and joint support; the brace wraps around the entire wrist, making it much easier to wear during regular activities. Where other hot/cold packs were one-size solutions to the need for therapy, the brace offers the user the ability to wear the therapy item on the wrist instead of dealing with tape or ties.

The innovative gel system built into the brace can be frozen for cold therapy or heated in the microwave. Because the brace is reversible, it can be used on either the right or left wrist and the special hook and loop fasteners make it easy to attach. 

Another Davison-designed product which has been sold at Walgreens is the TRU-ICE, a reusable ice pack system developed as an alternative to existing messy and inefficient methods of applying cold therapy to injuries. While there were existing products such as freezeable gel packs and ice packs available on the market, the TRU-ICE differs from these in that it provides complete ice massage therapy in five to seven minutes. The product is durable and leak-proof and designed to provide targeted cold therapy to reduce pain and swelling.

The unit’s design makes it easy to hold, and easy to maintain the ice on the injury in question, whether it’s a strain, sprain, arthritis, or tendonitis, even after the ice starts to melt. Because it can be used over and over again, it is more cost-effective than ice packs, and its easy positioning makes it an improvement over gel packs, which can be unwieldy. The exterior of the product, made of stout plastic, makes it so that the user’s hand doesn’t suffer from the cold being applied to the body. It is compact, which allows the user to apply as much pressure as is needed with easy control, to get the cold massage impact they desire.

“I find it extremely rewarding to be able to help the everyday ‘idea person’ bring their idea for a new product to life, and then hear their reaction after they actually see it in packaging and on the store shelf,” said Mr. Davison. “There’s nothing more exciting.”

A typical project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.