Even if your front end doesn’t drive a lot of profit, it does drive a large part of your pharmacy’s image. Many community pharmacy owners today think that because they can’t compete on price with big box stores and national chains, they shouldn’t invest in their front ends.
Your patients likely disagree. Patients expect a front end at their pharmacy. When you don’t have cough drops on hand during cold season or allergy OTCs available during spring, your patients may see your business as less valuable—and go elsewhere to fill their prescriptions.
Your community pharmacy doesn’t have to break the bank to offer a valuable front end. Simply rethink how you approach your front end. One way to do that is to use the changing seasons to guide your merchandising strategy. When you have the front end items available that your patients need—when they need them—you can increase front end sales and improve patient satisfaction with your store. Here are six ways to use the seasons to drive sales.
1. Plan ahead
Accurate seasonal planning can increase sales, decrease surplus stock and improve patient satisfaction with your front end—even if your prices are slightly higher than the chains. You need to plan budgets and submit orders to your vendors or wholesaler before each season hits. That way, during flu season, for example, you’ll have plenty of OTC products available on your shelves the moment that first patient walks in feeling sick. When you order your front end items before each season starts, you’re more likely to hit those high spikes of traffic and to boost sales.
2. Change your displays
Don’t just assume that your current product displays are enough. Highlight seasonal items with big displays, pull those items to the front of your store and don’t be afraid to move stock around. When you offer more interesting and dynamic displays, you’ll enhance the in-store experience for your patients, which encourages them to stop by your pharmacy more often.
Smaller pharmacies often don’t see the value in visual merchandising. If you’re skeptical, test it out at your store! Create a seasonal display, and then track the product sales during the display’s existence. See if it boosts revenue or if there’s no change. The answer may surprise you.
3. Arrange items in multiple places
Place seasonal items in different spots around your front end—even if you have a small storefront. Patients can miss items on a first walk through. They might walk right past a big display of sunscreens by the front door, but then pick up a bottle when they see a smaller display again near the pharmacy counter. Also, be sure to place seasonal items near high traffic spots, like your waiting area or pick up counter.
4. Clean and declutter
Your seasonal displays won’t appear as inviting if you don’t maintain the appearance of your overall store. Simple enhancements like bright lighting, wide aisles, attractive signage and modern décor will improve the overall look of your front end and create a better store experience for patients. Also, pay attention to how items look on your shelves. Make sure everything is clean and orderly. A common pitfall for community pharmacies is to stock one or two items of a wide variety of front end products. Doing so leaves the patient feeling like your pharmacy is out of stock on a lot of items or like your pharmacy is going out of business. Instead, stock fewer varieties and more products.
5. Organize your promotions
Plan the types of items you’re going to promote for the entire year. That way you have a set plan of when to change displays and what seasonal items to feature at what time. Plan something for every month. Think vitamins at the beginning of the year when people are trying to get healthy, allergy relief in the spring and sunscreen in the summer. You can also supplement your displays and promotions throughout the year with holidays like National Diabetes Month or American Heart Month.
6. Take advantage of vendor know-how
If you want to get even more out of your front end, draw on your vendors’ merchandising expertise and promotional ideas to help increase sales. PBA Health partners with a number of vendors for pharmacy front ends. As a PBA Health customer, you can even receive special pricing and discounts through certain vendors. Check out our directory of vendors here.
What not to do in your front end
- Don’t place items too high on shelves, especially if you have elderly patients.
- Don’t place stand-alone signs in aisles. It disrupts the continuity while patients shop.
- Don’t venture too far into stocking gifts and non-health related items—unless you have a good market for them. Your pharmacy’s core business is health care and should represent that.
- Don’t clutter your store with too many signs, merchandisers and other fixtures.
- Don’t start a promotional display and leave it up forever. Fresh promotional material that changes often is key to capturing patients’ interest.
