August 17, 2019

News, products, marketing and merchandising tips for the
front end of community pharmacies


* Gabe's Tips: *


Cold Sneezin' is Coming

On July 20, I told you to stock up for the sniffles. If you haven't done so yet, take a good look at your Cough, Cold and Allergy department and notice what you are missing. Make sure you order plenty of facial tissue, hand-sanitizer, immune boosters, thermometers, medicine spoons, vaporizers, humidifiers, lip balm, ClearPop for Rapid Earache Relief, and Warmies. Looks like enough to build a profitable endcap.


Creative Cross-Merchandising

When I was a fulltime merchandiser and it came to cross-merchandising, I used to do weird stuff like adding body wash to the family planning section or B12 Methylcobalamin to the men's shaving section with a little sign that read "Take a little energy home with you." But my favorite and most successful was a rack of expensive toothbrushes in the cough and cold section with a sign that read "Throw those germs away, time for a new toothbrush!"


Cough drop it like it's hot

So you are thinking, how many bags of lozenges should I put on a hook? The answer is as many as you can fit on a hook! You will have nearly 5 months to sell them, don't hold back, order them as if you were going to sell them.

Want to know if your OTC pricing is up to date?

Do a quick check for pricing parity. Look at the Halls 30 count drops Soothe & Relieves line; the Mint, Orange, Strawberry, and Tropical flavors should all have the same retail price. Flavor does not make a difference. Or check your Advil 200mg 50 count coated caplets and 50 count coated tablets. Those two products should have the same price.


From my mailbox:

"Gabe, I called 10 different pharmacies to see if they had a knee scooter, none did! Why don't community pharmacies carry them?"

Good question! Sounds like an opportunity knocking on one's door! Kneed I say more?


This just in!

Hey Gabe,

You know the store photo that I sent you with RED sign and WHITE letters that said PHARMACY that you like so much? It's no more. We had a pop-up thunderstorm with straight-line winds that ripped it from the roof. Thank God, no one was in the parking lot when it happened. If you're going to talk about signs, have people think about having them checked on an annual basis like a car's oil. We're going to get a roofer involved with the next sign to make sure the sign company hits as many rafters as possible to prevent this from happening again.

Ok, folks, you have been warned.

P.S. You really should check the car's oil more than once a year, just saying.



* Front-End Marketplace Vendor of the Month *


Eye spy a great deal

Our August vendor of the month, Franklin Eyewear, uses a color-coded sun and reading glasses program made specifically for independent pharmacies that makes reordering simple. Order from now through September 15th to receive FREE SHIPPING on ALL ORDERS, and a FREE FIXTURE with an order of 144 pairs of glasses.



* More from Hamacher Resource Group *


Tips for the top category in the independent channel

Prepare for the upcoming cold & flu season by updating your Cold & Allergy department to ensure you're meeting your customers' needs. Read more...


Skin Care is the number one beauty category in the independent channel

Follow these recommendations and add new products to attract shoppers to your Skin Care department. Read more...



Front End Resources for NCPA Members

Being a member of NCPA means you have access to a treasure trove of helpful hints, tips, and resources to make your front end more profitable! Download One-Pager Tips on a variety of topics. Gabe typically posts a tip once or twice a day on his Twitter account — if you're on Twitter, give him a follow at @NCPAGabe. You can also find tips in Gabe's monthly column in America's Pharmacist. The Overhaul of Fame galleries contain hundreds of photos to inspire you, from effective signs to successful end-caps and everything in between. Finally, you and your staff can access several staff training videos that will help you take an objective view of your store, both inside and out!

This wealth of knowledge is due to the fantastic photos, ideas, and suggestions we receive every day from NCPA members like you. Drop him a line at gabe.trahan@ncpanet.org with your questions, photos, best advice, and recommendations. What's selling well in your store? Let us know.


"Profit Makers" is produced by NCPA in collaboration with Drug Store News




Stay Connected
facebook twitter youtube  


line

Note: This message was distributed from an email account used for sending messages only. The inbox associated with this email account is unattended. Please do not reply to this message.

We welcome your comments at info@ncpanet.org.

National Community Pharmacists Association
100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
703.683.8200 - 703.683.3619 fax
Copyright © National Community Pharmacists Association.
All Rights Reserved.

To unsubscribe from emails like this but continue to receive important updates about community pharmacy issues, click here to manage your subscription preferences.

To unsubscribe from all NCPA emails, including alerts on developments impacting community pharmacies, click here.

[[tracking_beacon]]