From Duckana to Turtlemelon: Behind the animal-fruit hybrids at London Drugs
If you’re a frequent shopper at London Drugs and have ever wondered about their strange animal-fruit hybrid decorative items like the Duckana, you’re not alone.
Back in 2022, the Duckana — a hybrid between a duck and banana, as the name implies — caused quite a storm online.
The following year, people forgot all about Duckana and were enamoured by the Avo-cat-o instead.
Two new fruitimals have entered the game: The Turtlemelon and the Porcupineapple.
The product page describes the item as a decorative figurine.
“Whether perched on a shelf or displayed on a coffee table, the Turtlemelon brings a delightful twist to your home decor.”
We were fortunate to connect with vice president of technology solutions Nick Curalli, who serves on the executive committee at London Drugs and has been involved with the company for almost 30 years. While Curalli’s role generally has him dealing with tech, like the computer and photography department, he has some knowledge about some of the cooler and wackier things that London Drugs does.
“Every once in a while, something catches fire like Duckana did in 2022.”
But where did Duckana come from? Curalli said it’s a testament to LD’s buying team’s work. The buying team spends time travelling the world, looking for cool stuff.
“We have a pretty eclectic approach to retail,” Curalli told Daily Hive, adding that it’s hard to tell what might catch fire.
Curalli said that a handful of people are in charge of essentially being “really curious and following trends.”
“We forge a lot of partnerships, and what we tell those suppliers all over the world is ‘Hey. We’re London Drugs, but don’t let that name fool you.’ We try to bring our customers things they find useful and meaningful, that will improve their lives, that will improve their health and frankly, as much as the Duckana or Turtlemelon are not going to improve your health directly, we think that being happy is part of health too.”
Times are tough today, and there are many reasons to be stressed out; maybe a decorative Turtlemelon is the answer?
Speaking of stressful times, with London Drugs being proudly Canadian since the 1940s, we asked Curalli about the ongoing trade war and tariff tensions with the States and how the chain is navigating it.
“We’ve been a proud carrier of what it means to be Canadian.”
London Drugs isn’t trying to make any political statements in light of the tensions between the two nations.
“At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to our customers to provide them the services and the products they’re looking for to live their lives.”
Curalli reflected on the fact that tariffs are changing on an almost daily basis, and it’s a company that deals with suppliers worldwide, including supply chains that might run through the United States.
“We’re listening carefully to our customers and working with our suppliers to help them understand that our job is to bring customers the best products we can at the best prices we can because that’s what they need.”
If you’re interested, there are two versions of the Turtlemelon available. A large version is available for $49.99 as part of the lawn decor line, which is on sale for $37.49, and a smaller version is available for $24.99.
Have you bought any of the animal-fruit hybrids at London Drugs? Let us know in the comments.