As part of their preparation for ECRM’s 60+ EPPS meetings, buyers complete a form on the EPPS prep site, indicating the subcategories they are buying for, and on what areas they are focusing their buying efforts.

Based on this information, collected from the more than 100 buyers from medical supply distributors, select HME providers, wholesalers, drug, mass, grocery, club and omni-channel retailers registered so far to attend ECRM's Home Health & Caregiver Solutions EPPS, to be held January 29 to February 1 in Hilton Head Island, S.C., here are a few key areas of interest around these categories.

Cash Sale Items: Many of the buyers are looking for cash sale products that can add incremental sales to their showrooms, particularly from vendors who can provide a full assortment of these products along with promotional, display, and customer service support.

Chronic Wound Care: Wound care products -- typically offered in hospitals or via mail order – that can be offered at retail stores as a convenience for customers looking to have hospital-level wound care in their homes on a regular basis.

Professional and Home Diagnostics/Digital Devices: Stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, and other diagnostics equipment used by nurse practitioners, doctors or other medical professionals, as well as those for home use. This includes wearables and connected devices, as well as apps used to track and monitor health issues.

Mobility/Comfort/Pain Relief: Products aimed at older consumers or those with chronic issues that will enable them to remain active, such as mobility and therapeutic products, personal care, intimate care, pain relief (such as TENS devices and warming/cold therapy products), braces, supports, and other home-treatment items.

Diabetes Care: Monitors, wound care, compression hose, as well as nutritionals – particularly natural and organic products – specifically developed for the diabetic consumer.

Respiratory Products: CPAP machines, BIPAP units, oxygen, and other equipment aimed at helping with breathing-related conditions.

Private Brands: Merchandise across all home health care categories that can be sold under the retailer’s brand.

Canada: Several of the buyers attending are from large retail chains up north, and in addition to the items noted above, they also have particular requirements that are unique to the Canadian market, such as bilingual packaging (English and French) and a Canadian broker or distributor.