July End-Cap Ideas

• Back to Sports: Feature braces, wraps, hot/cold packs, pain relievers, bandages, etc.

• Back to Campus: Create dorm first aid kits with pain relievers, hot/cold packs, bandages, cold/allergy meds, hydrocortisone, tweezers, etc. Or assemble a collection of dorm must-haves: facial tissues, vitamins, lip balms, toothbrushes, etc.

• Summer's Not Over: Add bug repellents (find some great ones at Front-End Marketplace), tick removers, sunscreens, lip balms, aloe, itch relief for bug bites, etc.

Reminder: make sure you place the highest-priced items at eye level and include a sign on all of your end-caps. Good luck!

Promote Sunscreen

July is UV Safety Month and a great hook to use in promoting your inventory of sunscreen products and sunglasses on a well-merchandised end-cap. Many people take their summer vacations in August, too, so continued promotion of sun care products through Labor Day is a must. Check your stock and ensure you have enough sunscreen products to meet demand. Add a clip strip or bowl of premium lip balm with UV protection at every register and the pharmacy counter. Be sure to add a sign to your displays. Ideas: "Sunscreen has an expiration date, make sure yours is fresh!" or "UV Protection Available Here."

4 Inventory Tasks You Can Complete Today

• The summer months can mean slow sales for greeting cards, aside from wedding and anniversary cards. Remerchandise empty spots in your card racks with local books, children's activity books, photo frames, or gift wrap/tissue.

• Position shelving so that you never have to tilt an item to get it off the shelf. Move the shelf above the item one notch.

• Product standing on its end or merchandised lengthwise instead of fully faced will always suffer in sales. Check your shelves; start in the oral hygiene department with toothpaste.

• Stores with staff who rely on their memory on what to reorder will always be missing a few top sellers. Make your life easier and keep better track of your inventory by using shelf stickers. Every item in your store, no matter where it was ordered from, must have a shelf reorder sticker—even if you have to write them by hand.

Offer Your Customers Rapid Earache Relief

Childhood earaches can quickly evolve into headaches for the entire family. ClearPop for Rapid Earache Relief® is the July Front-End Marketplace Vendor of the Month and a unique answer to these headaches. Clinically tested, these therapeutic lollipops treat earaches fast with a safe, all-natural formula and patented shape that pulls congestion out of the middle ear. Learn more and place your order today on the Front-End Marketplace website. Free sample available!

Data Shows Sales Growth in Natural Personal Care

Products with natural label claims are seeing double-digit growth when they also are free from certain ingredients. Natural products free of artificial fragrances saw 16% growth for the year ending May 6, according to Nielsen, with natural products free from phthalates seeing 15.4% growth. Read more...

Increasing the Market Basket: Cross-Merchandising in the Cold & Allergy Department

Hamacher Resource Group (HRG) is introducing a new infographic series to help community pharmacies maximize sales. Increasing the Market Basket—Ideas for Cross-Selling Merchandise offers suggested complementary items to add to front-end health, beauty, and wellness departments as space is available to improve the shopper experience and increase impulse purchases. Read more...

Boost Revenue with Independent-Only Products

NCPA members have access to a special membership discount on unique health care products available only through independent pharmacies. In a collaboration with Union Springs Healthcare (USH), NCPA brings independent community pharmacy owners and staff the Companion Care Counseling® (CCC) Program developed by USH. CCC helps facilitate more productive pharmacist-patient interactions to address common health problems or side effects from existing prescription medications. This program and accompanying resources provided by USH have already been successful in hundreds of independent pharmacies at improving patient outcomes and growing pharmacy revenue. NCPA members can learn more about the program, the products, and claim their special member prices at www.ushcare.com/pharmacy-partner.