Lil’ Drug affiliate buys merchandiser

An affiliate of Lil' Drug Store Products, Linden Holdings of Iowa, has acquired the assets of a retail merchandiser of cellular accessories and sunglasses, broadening the Cedar Rapids-based company's reach in convenience stores.

Winder, Ga.-headquartered Associated Distributors, with 25 direct-store service representatives, sells Wavelength cellular accessories, such as phone cases, and Images sunglasses to more than 4,000 convenience stores.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed, though Doug Marquardt, Lil' Drug marketing director, said the deal didn't include any capital assets or warehouses.

Lil' Drug places products such as Rolaids, Ricola and other name brands in more than 100,000 convenience stores, the company said.

'Partnering with Lil' Drug Store Products gives Associated Distributors access to an extensive network of more than 100,000 stores,” said Clark Heist, founder of Associated Distributors, in a news release on Friday.

Lil' Drug Store and Associated Distributors now will share access to marketing, operational, financial, sales and customer service resources, the news release said.