Martha Stewart: ‘No matter your age … age gracefully’

Flanked by a lone Venetian security guard, business mogul Martha Stewart walked into a conference room at the Sands Expo on Monday morning.

In Las Vegas to promote her new line of supplements, Stewart spoke about health and aging to an audience of about 25 people, including a dean of pharmacy education, pharmacists, press and retail buyers.

Her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, partnered with Inergetics to create Martha Stewart Essentials, a line of six women’s supplements that will be available at retailers in the fall. Her product is being manufactured at Las Vegas-based factory, Dr. Vita.

“I think it’s extremely important, no matter your age, ... to age gracefully,” Stewart said.

The educational event was part of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ inaugural Total Store Expo at the Sands Expo through Tuesday.

“We’re very excited to be here in Vegas. It’s an ideal location,” Jim Whitman, senior vice president of the association, said.

The trade-only show is sold out, taking up Sands Expo Halls A, B and C, using 525,000 square feet. In all, the association has about 125 retail member companies, and more than 1,000 supplier members. About 5,600 people are attending Total Store Expo, including Stewart.

She said trade shows like this are very important when launching a product.

“It introduces it to the widest possible audience and it helps you get a product known quickly. Something like this has to have that kind of introduction,” Stewart said.

It seems to be working.

A few of the pharmacists in attendance commented they’d feel comfortable recommending her product after learning about the ingredients, combinations of herbs and vitamins.

“We don’t want any missteps. We’ve taken all the steps to make sure what’s in there is what we say it is,” said Marshall Post, executive vice president of Inergetics.

After speaking, Stewart spent the day taking meetings in her company’s booth on the expo floor.

Another new product exhibiting was Dream Water, a sleep aid shot made with melatonin, gaba and 5-HTP.

Anthony Cornish, vice president of sales, said the company has been successful thus far while in Vegas.

“The retailers are very responsive to us and I found the meetings to be very productive,” Cornish said.

Attending retailers include Albertsons, Walmart, Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, Target and 7-Eleven. Other exhibitors include Hallmark Cards, General Mills, Tom’s of Maine and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. The association’s aim is to bring drug, food, mass, club and value segments together into one trade show. There also is a pharmacy education component.

Elsewhere on the floor, E.T. Browne Drug Co. was showing off its new Palmer’s skin therapy face oil.

“It’s been very well-received by all the buyers,” said Gilberto Rodriguez, vice president international sales.

Apothecary Products was exhibiting its pill boxes, first aid and diabetic items.

“It’s nice to see our core customers in a new venue, out of the office,” said Candice Hudson, director of national accounts for the company.

Total Store Expo’s producers anticipate a strong show, but aren’t sure that will translate into returning to Las Vegas next year.

“We’ll have to wait and see after Tuesday,” Whitman said. “There are so many cities with convention centers. They all have their assets and their pluses.”

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas on Twitter.