demographic in a way that emphasized education and provided a sense of relatability.  Norwood and Plotch spoke with Inside Retail about their long-term goals to make feminine care products as accessible as possible through wide-scale retail partnerships, such as their recently cemented deal with Walgreens.  As of September 22, all of Winx Health’s products will be available in over 6,000 Walgreens stores nationwide.  Inside Retail: How did the concept for the brand come about?  Jamie Norwood: Winx Health is the Gen-Z hub for sexual and vaginal health solutions. When we launched the brand back in 2019, it started with just a single pregnancy test, born out of one of those mortifying moments that every woman has experienced shopping in-store. Beyond less-than-ideal shopping experiences, we realized there wasn’t a single brand on-shelf that actually spoke to us as consumers. Every pregnancy test had images of glowing, expectant mothers in their ads, and frankly, in our early 20s, that wasn’t where we were in our phase of life. We were taking these tests, hoping for a negative result. The entire category felt disconnected from our reality and the reality of so many women we knew.  That disconnect sparked an idea to create a brand that genuinely resonated with us as consumers. We wanted products that spoke to us the way we were already connecting with each other and made this category more approachable and modern.  Winx Health is here to ensure that no question is too small and no concern is too trivial, meeting people wherever they are – whether that’s where they shop, what education gaps they need filled, or simply what stage of life they’re navigating.  We’re building a brand that shows up for women in their “oh sh*t” moments, whether they need emergency contraception or UTI care. IR: How does Winx stand out in the competitive women’s sexual health market? What are its main points of differentiation?  JN: Winx Health is changing the way women access care by bringing comprehensive, digitally connected solutions directly to the shelf.  We launched our test and treat diagnostics for the most common outpatient infections like UTIs and yeast infections — the first of their kind to combine testing with same-day Rx treatment through telehealth.  We speak to our customers the way you’d speak to your best friend. It’s not overly clinical or intimidating – it’s approachable and completely non-judgmental, with the medically-accurate answers and results they need. We’re answering the questions you have in that exact moment of need, right there on the shelf. Our solutions help clearly identify the problem with testing and digital diagnostics, then close the gap to care with easy telehealth solutions. All for less than the cost of a typical co-pay.  We’re essentially democratizing healthcare access by making it affordable, accessible and stigma-free. IR: What have been the biggest challenges of running the business thus far?  Cynthia Plotch: Accessibility has been a huge hurdle for the business. We’re driving education and destigmatization in a category that historically has been whispered about. The women’s healthcare aisle has been stuck in time, with brands tiptoeing around what women actually experience and hidden behind clinical jargon. Our straightforward, empowering approach challenged this status quo.  We had to demonstrate through our direct-to-consumer success that women actually want honest, educational solutions. It took showing strong sales data, customer testimonials and our Real Talk [Winx’s blog] engagement metrics to prove there was genuine demand for our approach. Our results showed this: from on-shelf sales in regional grocers that helped elevate category sales by nearly 13 per cent, to a growing community of more than half a million people.  This first major retail partnership with Walgreens is validation that the industry is ready to meet women where they are, with real solutions for real problems, no shame attached. IR: Similar to other women’s sexual wellness brands, a large part of Winx’s consumer awareness is driven by the brand’s focus on education. What role does “Real Talk” play in the brand’s connection with Gen Z consumers?  JN: “Real Talk” started as a supplemental resource, and has since evolved into Gen Z’s go-to sexual health education hub, reaching more than 500,000 people monthly with medically credible, non-judgmental insights.  “Real Talk” tackles Gen Z’s most pressing sexual health questions – from vaginal discharge to birth control to reproductive rights. Most Gen Z consumers appreciate brands that provide educational content about products before making a purchase. This demographic wants to be well-informed and empowered, and it significantly influences their purchasing decisions.  Using our platform for education and social good wasn’t just good for society – it was good for our bottom line.  As a result of our myth-busting efforts around emergency contraception accessibility, we saw sales of Restart skyrocket. During every reproductive health threat, women proactively sought protection, and our morning-after pill sales reflected that demand.  This education-first approach also attracted the right partners, like Walgreens, who share our commitment to educating and empowering audiences with accessible solutions.  IR: How did the retail partnership with Walgreens come about? What does this indicate for Winx’s brick-and-mortar strategy?  CP: This is our first nationwide pharmacy partnership and will be the exclusive physical retailer of Winx Health’s full suite of products. This major retail expansion combines at-home diagnostics, vaginal and reproductive health essentials and telehealth support. It brings much-needed innovation and sex education within five miles of 75 per cent of Americans, tackling gaps and breaking stigmas in accessible care.  When you look at the women’s health aisle, it’s filled with some of the same products our grandmothers were using. We’re bringing a modern upgrade with approachable, educational solutions that help answer your burning sexual and vaginal health questions with no judgment and no shame.  Walgreens’ commitment to education makes it a perfectly suited partner. Like us, they’re rooted in wanting to help provide complete answers, not siloed solutions. They’re installing full end-of-aisle displays that dive deeper into myth-busting and educational elements of vaginal and sexual health, paired with our solutions that help people confidently solve their health problems.  IR: Ideally, what other retail partners would you like to add to Winx’s roster?  JN: We want to show up for our customers with these solutions wherever they are – that means expanding to more retail partners with more testing options and products. Our vision is to be accessible to women, no matter where they shop or what their specific needs are. We’re looking for partners who genuinely understand our mission of empowering women to make confident health decisions and who are committed to transforming the women’s health aisle for the better. It’s not just about shelf space – it’s about finding retailers who believe in breaking down stigmas and expanding access to essential care. IR: What are your long-term plans for the brand’s future?  JN: We will continue to be an advocate for our community at every step of their health journeys – without judgment and with discretion, support, and trust. Now more than ever, conversations around women’s health and reproductive justice are absolutely crucial. As we’ve evolved into this new era as Winx Health, we want to be an even louder advocate for women’s health.  Winx Health is creating a revolution in women’s health empowerment, proving time and again that when education and empowerment align, the impact is profound. Empowerment starts with knowledge, and that’s exactly what we’re here to provide.