DENVER — After 25 years, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores held its final Marketplace Conference here last month.

After 25 years, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores held its final Marketplace Conference here last month.

Starting in 2013, the event will be part of the association’s Total Store Expo (TSE), which will combine NACDS’ Marketplace, Pharmacy Conference, and Distribution and Logistics Conference into a single megashow.

NACDS executives stress that the end of Marketplace as a stand-alone event does not change the significance of the conference.

"Business opportunities abound at the NACDS Marketplace Conference, and attendees can look forward to those same opportunities and more at the NACDS Total Store Expo," president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson says.

TSE, he says, will feature almost all of Marketplace’s most popular features, including the Meet the Market and Meet the Retailer sessions, and will offer such new features as the Digital Learning Center that premiered at this year’s event.

Meanwhile, retailers and suppliers at this year’s Marketplace say they expect TSE to be an even more productive event by bringing together executives from every side of their businesses.