Colds are coming

August is when merchandisers are asked to reset and update the number one department in sales in the OTC sales categories, Cold and Allergy. Run your cold & allergy 12-month point of sales report now. Take a good look at your slower-moving product; it may be time to eliminate a number of SKU's to make room to cross-merchandise your immune builder selection and add some all-natural lozenges. Cold and Allergy should be parallel or in-line with your pain section. A wise choice for a lead-in end-cap would be a homeopathic display. P.S. Don't hide the facial tissues with toilet tissue and paper towels.

Wall space

Are you short on space in the cough and cold set to merchandise vaporizers, humidifiers, facial tissues, hand sanitizers, lip balms, and or natural products? Then take the entire department to the walls! Traditional fixtures offer 48" of shelving space; walls can provide as much as an extra 18" to 24" to position shelves. Looking for even more room? Utilize a wall fixture by placing the larger items on a shelf at 70 to 72" from the floor.

I want you to want me

Get in the habit of asking your clients if they found everything they were looking for and remind them that you have 48-hour access to thousands of items. Think of your wholesaler's warehouse as your extended back room. Caution, you do not have to carry everything that someone asks for. Keep a "want book" on had to record frequent requests so you can decide whether to stock anything more regularly.

P.S. You're welcome for having Cheap Trick stuck in your head the rest of the day.

Sign Suggestions

If you are looking to add a digital sign in the window of your pharmacy think about purchasing a used one. Stay away from a sign that scrolls! Scrolling messages are hard to read if you are moving. Look for a sign that has the largest size font. The bigger the letters, the better. Look for dark background and light or bright-colored text. Lastly, find a sign that allows you to change the message easily!

Move with us at Annual Convention

Our first keynote speaker at the NCPA 2023 Annual Convention is Dr. Peter Lovatt. He co-founded the Movement in Practice Academy, which provides education in the psychology of movement and dance. He set up the first Dance Psychology Lab in 2008, where he studied how movement changes how people think, feel and solve problems and how it changes social interaction and increases pro-social behavior. Register today!

Monthly Retailer Category Tips — Skin Care

In the skin care category in the independent pharmacy channel, private label is among the top five selling brands1, indicating that even in a beauty category consumers are looking for relief from inflation by turning to this less expensive option. Read More...