The Retail Advisory Board (RAB) of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) met this week during the 2009 NACDS Marketplace Conference in Boston to discuss social networking opportunities within its businesses.

“The Retail Advisory Board [is] exploring this new medium, which is evolving into a critical communication tool for reaching the industry’s consumers and gaining a better understanding of consumer trends and interests,” said NACDS president and CEO Steven C. Anderson.

Pete Blackshaw, EVP with Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services, outlined during his presentation how retailers and suppliers can use consumer-generated media, such as blogs, social networking pages and message boards, to communicate company or product information, as well as build Web forums for open communication between companies and their customers that are relevant and timely.

Blackshaw shared insights with attendees about the growing use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and other blogs and message boards as a new way of communicating with consumers.

The NACDS Retail Advisory Board comprises a cross-section of retailers and manufacturers. Its mission is to advise and provide recommendations to the NACDS board of directors on timely industry issues affecting the broad NACDS membership base, thereby promoting changes and enhancements that further increase NACDS’s value to its members.

Alexandria, Va.-based NACDS represents traditional drug stores, supermarkets, and mass merchants with pharmacies. Its more than 160 chain member companies include regional chains with a minimum of four stores to national companies. NACDS members also include more than 1,000 suppliers of pharmacy and front end products, and 85 international members representing 28 countries.