by Jen Johnston Last year, HRG surveyed independent pharmacies about many topics, one of which was who their biggest competitors are when it comes to their front-end. One east coast pharmacist called me during the midst of Hurricane Sandy cleanup because his power was out and he couldn’t complete the online survey, but he had … Read More
The Dollars and the Indies: Pt. 1
Posted by Jenny Kosek Dollar General just received the 2013 Company of the Year in Retail award at the 11th Annual American Business Awards. With a 48% share in the dollar channel[1], it’s no wonder. While consumables lead sales in the dollar channel, OTC products are gaining strength. Not nearly done competing, dollar stores are … Read More
Finding the local pharmacy
by Jenny Kosek I’ve been taking the same route to work for the past four years. I drive on a busy street, popular with drivers looking to avoid the congestion on highways. Still, there’s a particular stretch of this road that can be prone to some back-ups, and I was stuck in one such delay yesterday … Read More
Embrace your “indie” mystique to reach the 2nd largest generation
by Jen Johnston The last time you thought about the millennial generation (gen Y) they may have been a bunch of ragtag middle schoolers whose only source of income was their weekly allowances from mom and dad. You may have had to watch that they didn’t steal candy or lip gloss, but they didn’t really … Read More
Appearance Matters
by Megan Moyer I enjoy shopping at drug stores, especially independents. I have fond memories of going to the drug store as a kid to get a candy bar and a comic book for the 5-hour drive to our grandparents’ house. My first job, in my teens, was at an independent pharmacy where I guess … Read More
Position your store as a wellness destination
by Megan Moyer What does wellness mean to you? I like this definition from the McKinley Health Center, University of Illinois: Wellness is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. I think we can all identify with that. Some within our industry have already moved from describing over-the-counter (OTC) … Read More
Retail staff: In-store search engines
by Jenny Kosek How did it come to this? 91% of consumers who shop online do so because they can research their buying decisions, and these shoppers trust online ratings and reviews by a 4:1 margin over the opinions of store employees. Why don’t shoppers trust store employees any more? Consumers who are turning to … Read More
Your product assortment can be your differentiator
by Megan Moyer We often talk to independent pharmacies about finding their niche in the community. The trouble is many indie pharmacists aren’t sure where to begin to figure this out. One place to start is to review your product assortment. A good approach is to look at your competitors, customers, and community. You can … Read More