Are your endcaps interesting, surprising, and put together well? Or are they a sad afterthought?
Putting thought, time, and energy into these chunks of your store’s real estate will pay off in better sales and profits. They’re in heavily trafficked areas and their compact size makes them attractive to shoppers. While you might already use them for special promotions such as holiday items or seasonal supplies, why not use them to help address symptoms of diseases or conditions?
Look at the data
Instead of making a random decision, think about your customers. What are the most popular prescriptions your customers purchase? Build an endcap around items and products that complement the reason your customer already comes into your store.
Get the products
Start putting the products together that your patients might need, cross-merchandising from a number of different departments. Your goal is to provide your patients a comprehensive solution to help them manage whatever health or wellness issue you’ve chosen to focus upon. Be sure to tell your staff to point out helpful items as they interact with patients, particularly the ones coming to fill prescriptions related to the items on your endcap.
Rotate, then repeat
Keep this endcap focused on one situation for a specific amount of time. The usual timeframe to update endcaps is about 30 to 45 days. Pay attention to sales. Before you change the endcap to freshen up your store, you might schedule a date to reset it with the same items in a few months.
Health and wellness endcaps
Definitely consult your data and start with the most common conditions your patients share. Some ideas include:
Heart disease
Roughly 127.9 million Americans over the age of 20 have some type of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, or coronary heart disease. An endcap focusing on this condition might include blood pressure monitors, fitness trackers, weight management items, low-dose aspirin, or vitamins and supplements designed specifically to address the symptoms of heart disease.
Cancer
Patients going through or recovering from cancer have a wealth of special needs. Some general items might include anti-nausea medication, protein powders, or supplements designed to boost immunity or energy. You might also include comfort items, including soft blankets, specialty skin care lotions, aromatherapy products, or inspirational books.
Diabetes
More than 38 million Americans have diabetes, with another 97.6 million Americans diagnosed with prediabetes. You might stock weight management tools, healthy cookbooks, and meal planning items. Don’t forget eye care products, foot care items, as well as heart and kidney health supplements.
With a little thought and research, you can increase your sales while increasing the health of your patients.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
