New symptom-specific products from Calpol are likely to add an extra £2.9m to the children's medicines grocery channel next year, according to owner Pfizer. Available next month, new Calpol Night, CalCold and CalCough, in Chesty and Tickly variants, will be backed by a multimillion-pound marketing campaign, including advertising. The company said the launches could be a particular boost for grocery retailers, because parents tended to treat children's minor symptoms at home, and shoppers with children made up nearly one in four of the population. "An increasing number of parents choose to buy medicines from grocery retailers, as this allows them to buy all their household essentials under one roof, with minimum fuss," said Calpol product manager Holly Turner. "They are seeking clearly signposted, specific medicines to treat common childhood illnesses such as teething, earache, coughs and colds." Calpol Night is the first children's pain and fever medicine designed specifically for night-time use and it also contains an anti-histamine to aid restful sleep. CalCold also claims a first, as a cold-specific suspension for children aged from three months. It helps to ease breathing, unblock the nose and relieve pain. Both are pharmacy-only products and have the same strawberry taste as Calpol. The new CalCough range in Chesty and Tickly options, which is available over the counter rather than just in pharmacies, offers treatment options for children suffering from different types of cough. The company is also launching a Calpol Vapour Plug & Nightlight, which is a combined night light and vapour plug that aims to aid night time breathing and create a restful environment. Calpol accounts for more than 60% of the £68.5m children's pain and fever category and Pfizer expects the newcomers to add £6.5m (or 4.5%) to the total market during the next 12 months.

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