Do you think of your pharmacy’s front end as one-size-fits-all?
Generalizing front-end shoppers as all the same may not be the most profitable approach.
Consumers today want—and expect—a personalized shopping experience from retailers, according to the Total Retail 2016 Report from PricewaterhouseCooper.
But personalization doesn’t just mean carrying an assortment of front-end products for different ailments, disease states and patients. It means making the shopping experience personal to each shopper.
If you create a more personalized shopping experience for patients, you can keep patients coming back because they feel special.
From making personal product recommendations to better using social media, a few adjustments can make a big difference. You can earn more revenue and craft a product assortment that appeals to your patients. So they come back again and again.
Reasons to create a personalized shopping experience:
- Earn more revenue
- Keep patients happy
- Separate your pharmacy from the competition
7 Ways to Personalize the Pharmacy Shopping Experience
Here are the best ways to create the ultimate pharmacy shopping experience in your front end.
1. Hire dedicated front-end staff
Always have a dedicated staff member available in the front end to help shoppers.
This makes the experience more personal.
Train staff members well so they can make good product recommendations and so they can easily answer shoppers’ questions.
2. Promote to patients’ shopping behaviors
What better way to personalize the pharmacy shopping experience than to stock the products you know your patients need and want?
Determining common behaviors of front-end shoppers can reveal their motivations to shop. And, it can help you pinpoint what retail products to stock.
For example, consumers tend to show brand loyalty to certain products they use often, such as personal care and nutritional products.
Use data from your point-of-sale (POS) system to determine common front-end products your patients purchase. And make sure you always have those products in stock.
Also, consider stocking related products from popular brands because patients might like those too.
3. Look at your demographics to know what to stock
Pinpointing your key front-end shoppers’ demographic similarities can also help you choose the right front-end products to stock.
Knowing this information can also help you promote your front-end products to them.
Demographics include factors like:
- Age
- Income
- Gender
- Race
- Generation
- Nationality
- Culture
Patients’ jobs, their religions, education and family life cycle (single, married, kids, empty nest) are also other considerations worth noting.
For example, if you know you have a significant elderly market, then stock a larger selection of adult diapers, canes, walkers and home medical supplies.
Stocking the front-end products your best patients are looking for—or will soon look for—will make them feel like your pharmacy knows their personal needs.
4. Use social media
Consumers want to interact with brands.
And, what’s the easiest way to do that today? Social media.
Eighty-four percent of consumers between 18-24 have had their online shopping behaviors influenced by social media, according to the PricewaterhouseCooper report. And, 40 percent of consumers under 34 say that interactions with their favorite brands through social media have driven them to respect and value those brands more.
Your pharmacy can participate too.
Ways to use social media to personalize the pharmacy shopping experience:
- Post about new front-end products on Facebook
- Ask your Twitter followers what products they’d like your pharmacy to stock
- Conduct a poll on Facebook to ask your followers what their favorite vitamin brands are
- Ask Facebook and Twitter followers to leave product reviews
- Run targeted Facebook ads
5. Provide a beneficial loyalty rewards program
Personalize the pharmacy shopping experience with a loyalty rewards program.
And not just any loyalty rewards program.
Nearly every retail business today offers a loyalty rewards program, including your competition. The market is saturated with them.
Make your pharmacy’s loyalty rewards program stand out with personalization.
Use your loyalty rewards program to provide:
- Members-only front-end discounts and offers
- Coupons based on patients’ shopping history
- Personalized emails
6. Make deals and offers personal
Send personalized offer emails to patients based on their previous purchases.
For example, if a patient purchased a bottle of fish oil supplements three weeks ago, then send her an email with a discount off fish oil supplements to encourage her to return to stock up.
Work with your POS vendor to automate customized emails with discounts.
7. Offer a pharmacy app
Using digital tools, like a pharmacy app, is a must today to build relationships with front-end shoppers.
Even if your pharmacy doesn’t sell front-end products through your app, you can use the app to connect front-end shoppers to the in-store pharmacy shopping experience.
For example, let patients use the delivery function of your app to request front-end products. If your app allows patients to refill prescriptions and to choose if they want their medication delivered, then also allow them to request front-end products, like vitamins and supplements, with their delivery.
Bonus Tip: Go local
Build personal relationships with front-end shoppers by stocking local products in your pharmacy’s front end.
Shoppers today look for that local aspect. It makes their purchases feel personal.
And, when you stock locally-made products, you solidify your pharmacy as part of the community.
Local products to stock in your front end:
- Artwork
- Cards made by local artists
- Gifts
- Lip balm
- Lotions
- Soaps
Now your pharmacy’s front end will never feel like one-size-fits-all again.
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