Last-Minute Holiday Preparations

The holidays are here and there are just a few more things to do in the next week:

1. Post your return policies in clear view and review your policy with all employees, especially new ones. Make new signs for each register stating your return policies. (Here is a One-Pager Tip on handling returns.)

2. Check the weather forecast and road conditions. Clear roads mean people will make road trips to the malls. Extreme cold or poor road conditions keep most shoppers closer to home and you should plan accordingly.

3. Remind all employees scheduled to work Dec. 24, Dec. 26, and Dec. 31 that you need them to be at work at their scheduled times during this busy season.

4. Remember, 'tis the season for giving—and, unfortunately, stealing. Sometimes stores see an increase in internal theft. Check your "no sales" report, reinforce your policy of no bags/purses near cash counters, and check the trash.

5. Before putting any item on sale, you must take an inventory of carryover product, then conduct one more inventory after the clearance sale. Remember, the first inventory tells you what you sold at full margin.

6. The best way to clear items out after the holidays is to offer a "Buy One, Get One Free" sale; this way, you get rid of two items at once.

7. Use the two-year rule: if this is the second year that you box up the same seasonal item, mark the box for immediate clearance and price for a sidewalk sale or the next holiday.

Get Ready to Discount

Most Christmas trees are up and decorated by now. Consider offering a pre-Christmas discount on trim-a-tree only. On Dec. 21, pull your Christmas items out of the window and prepare them for sale. Create signs now for sales on Dec. 26. Review what will be discounted and what is not to be discounted the day after Christmas with all employees.

Good Notes Will Save Your Sanity in 2017

Taking good notes NOW and after the Christmas and New Year's holiday season will save you headaches and guessing games next year. What sold well and what didn't? Did you have enough inventory of certain products? If not, when did you run out? What did your end-caps and holiday section(s) look like?

Take notes in your 2017 copy of the Daily Pharmacy Planning Guide, now available for purchase in the NCPA Bookstore. The guide includes 365+ tips on timely front-end department advice, merchandising, and much more. Plus, Guide owners can participate in FREE quarterly webinars on how to use the Guide effectively, as well as seasonal merchandising and marketing ideas. Order now before copies sell out at www.ncpanet.org/bookstore or 1-800-544-7447.

Merchandising Workshop Perfect for Staff & Owners

Join NCPA for a one-day seminar Feb. 17 in Orange, Calif. or March 25 in Dallas that gives you the know-how and tools to build store traffic, attract customers, and increase your front-end profits. Led by NCPA's Gabe Trahan, who has 40 years of store merchandising and marketing experience, the Front-End Profit Building Seminar will cover topics including curb appeal, floor plans and cross-merchandising ideas, inventory management tools, private label profit drivers, popular gifts, and more. Leave the seminar with an implementation tool kit you can start using immediately in your store. Register today—special rates for store team members, too.

Candy in a Health-and-Wellness World

Two new consumer trends when it comes to chocolate candy—a desire for new textures and the combination of real fruit with chocolate. Non-chocolate candy seems to be performing a bit better, especially in drug stores. "Gummies are still trending, and our gummy products in particular are performing very well in the drug channel," said Edward Taylor, VP U.S. sales and operations at Wrigley. "Sales of both Lifesavers and Starburst brands are up (8% and 12%, respectively, year-to-date)." Read more...

TENS and Other Self-Care Devices Hold 'Great Potential'

Two new consumer trends when it comes to chocolate candy—a desire for new textures and the combination of real fruit with chocolate. Non-chocolate candy seems to be performing a bit better, especially in drug stores. "Gummies are still trending, and our gummy products in particular are performing very well in the drug channel," said Edward Taylor, VP U.S. sales and operations at Wrigley. "Sales of both Lifesavers and Starburst brands are up (8% and 12%, respectively, year-to-date)." Read more...

Know Your Market Segments

When we say "market segment," we are referring to a distinct group of people, or customers, who have certain wants and needs. To meet their wants and needs, they are willing to exchange their hard-earned money for products and services. If your products and services match up to their wants and needs, everyone wins! If they don't match, shoppers become unhappy and sales dip. Read more...