0by Jenny Kosek Two-thirds of U.S. pharmacists have completed the 20 hour pharmacy-based immunization training offered by the American Pharmacist’s Association. Have you? All 50 states allow pharmacists who have completed this training to offer immunizations in their stores, positioning those pharmacies to attract consumers who seek convenient immunizations without the need to schedule doctor’s visits. … Read More
retail
Pharmacies can build loyalty by embracing wellness
by Jennifer Johnston for Chain Drug Review September 30th, 2013 The retail consumer shift toward wellness is well under way. Hamacher Resource Group and several leading trade associations spotted this emerging trend years ago and changed the term “health and beauty care” (HBC) to “health, beauty, and wellness” (HBW) in everything they produced. These days, … Read More
Connecting the dots
by Dave Wendland When the biggest retailer in the world recognizes that their out of stock situation is causing shopper frustration what do they do? Begin connecting the dots. Beginning in May 2013 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. addressed its stocking problem by developing a green-dot program whereby key items were flagged to ensure their availability. This intensified … Read More
Mandatory mail order — indie pharmacy’s biggest front-end competitor
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
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
Making 20 minutes count
by Dave Wendland This post assumes you have answered “yes” to these five critical questions about your product. Does the product fill an identified consumer need? Are the packaging and messaging ready for retail? Are there compelling reasons for the buyer to take a chance on your item? Can you handle the production demands if … 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
The kids want their summer back
by Jen Johnston Ah, summer is finally in full swing. The kids are finally out of school. Time for hot weather, vacations, bar-b-ques, and. . .back-to-school promotions? Perhaps I am just paying more attention in 2013, but back-to-school advertising seems to be happening earlier than ever. In fact, some retailers began their promotions on school … Read More
Why Gen Y?
by Jenny Kosek 80 million people between the ages of 17 and 34 currently comprise the much-buzzed about Millennial Generation. Considering that 40% of shoppers under age 25 purchase no OTC products at independent pharmacy, the industry is lagging behind when it comes to engaging this immensely important demographic. That means independent pharmacy is losing … Read More