Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

There's a new book available for purchase on the NCPA bookstore written by yours truly, Gabe Trahan. Gabe's Favorite Tips is a compilation of some of my favorite tips and worksheets that I've shared over the past several years which I believe are the most important contributors to pharmacy success outside the prescription department. This new resource should help you and your team take a fresh look at your store and be inspired to make changes that will attract new customers and your existing customers will appreciate, leading to increased sales and profitability.

Pretty isn't always profit

I've met lots of people who have told me that they were good at merchandising because they were great at decorating their homes. Making things look nice, or even pretty is not merchandising; merchandising is tougher than that. Merchandisers understand that product positioned by value instead of by size creates higher rings at the register. They realize that a full looking display attracts customers more than shelving wrapped with pretty paper. Merchandisers understand that product placed at eye-level gets the most attention. Good for you Merchandisers!

Wing Power

Now is a good time of the year to cross merchandise throat lozenges. The best way to do this is by using a wire power panel wing that clips or hangs on the side of an end-cap. They usually are 16" wide and 48" tall. If you need to buy them first, check with your local fixture distributor, and if that doesn't work, search the internet for a "Wire Power Panel Wing." Keep track of the special hooks that come with the wing; they are hard to replace.

Better than BOGO

By now, Christmas cards should have been either returned for credit or stored, and either way, they had to be inventoried. If you still have single-serve Christmas candy, it's time to put them on an aggressive sale at "buy one and get two free." This works better than 75% off, and you actually lose less profit on the sale.

Easter Eggs Already

For the past 43 years, I have urged everyone to keep the Cadbury eggs off the shelves until after Valentine's day; the reason was not to compete with your Valentine Candy. I'm afraid it is a lost cause now. The chains are putting them out as soon as they get them. Ugh, go ahead, put them out.

Send a note!

I'm curious! How did Christmas falling on a Wednesday affect, if any, your holiday sales? If your store is normally closed on Sunday, did you open up on Sunday, December 22nd? Did any of you extend your store hours for the holiday season? Send me a note! Gabe.trahan@ncpanet.org I would love to hear from you.