Start analyzing your competition in 5 easy steps
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager As a store owner or manager, it is essential to know who your competition is when planning your marketing efforts. From a purely prescription perspective, you might peg chain drug stores or even mail order as your fiercest foes; however, do you know who your competitors […]
4 ways pharmacies can partner with health coaches
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, for the Step Into Natural blog series Health coaching is a growing profession. Different from a nutritionist, medical professional, or even health educator, a health coach works with people to develop goals and create healthy habits typically through one-to-one or one-to-many coaching sessions. According to marketresearch.com, there are an estimated 109,000 […]
3 steps to writing a mission statement for your independent pharmacy
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager Many independent pharmacies do not have a formal mission statement. Perhaps your pharmacy never got around to it, or maybe it was an intentional decision because you didn’t think it was necessary. A mission statement formalizes your goal for your store and unifies staff so they […]
Do you stock nutraceuticals in your pharmacy?
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager for the Step into Natural blog series. Is the term nutraceutical familiar to you and your pharmacy staff? Do you know what products fall under the nutraceutical category? In some countries, nutraceuticals (a mash up of “nutrition” and “pharmaceuticals”) are a distinct category of products derived […]
10 Forms of natural sleep products every pharmacist should know about
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager, for the Step into Natural blog series Alongside diphenhydramine capsules and melatonin supplements, a new set of sleep products is vying for consumer attention, especially from your natural shoppers. Syndicated data provider, SPINS, names “better sleep” as one of the top macrotrends for 2019, as reported […]
Resolution: Review my product assortment to determine if changes are needed
By Althea R., data assets specialist, for the Resolutions for Independent Pharmacies blog series When was the last time you reviewed which products are lining your store’s shelves? If you have to stop and think about that, maybe it’s time to do an assessment and a little “spring cleaning.” If not now, make it a goal for next […]
Fasting – A growing wellness trend pharmacists should understand
By Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager, for the Step into Natural blog series Fasting, the act of restricting food for a set period of time, is rapidly on the rise. In fact, intermittent fasting was the top-cited eating pattern by the International Food Information Council Foundation’s 13th annual Food and Health Survey, […]
This Classic Retail Tactic Boosts Front-End Pharmacy Sales
Written by and published in Elements magazine, March 15, 2019 As margins behind the counter continue to decline, independent pharmacies are looking to remedy their profit pains. And pharmacy retail experts are prescribing a simple front-end treatment: cross merchandising. “Cross merchandising is a tactic that can increase sales, if pharmacies do it right and are consistent and committed […]
Resolution: Plan to change endcaps every month
By Althea R., data assets associate, for the Resolutions for Independent Pharmacies blog series Just like some wardrobes are changed out with the varying seasons, store displays need to be as well to keep things fresh. Your endcaps are highly visible locations that should be changed often. You can plan around holidays, events, or come up with something […]
Set Your Pharmacy’s Front End Apart by Engaging All Five Senses
Written by and published in Elements magazine, December 13, 2018 What keeps customers coming to your front end? Is your price lower than your online and mail-order competition? Do you have a broader product selection? Do you take orders in the late evening and weekends? Most independent pharmacies don’t have the resources to compete with online retailers […]