By Lisa Lopez for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series
Cross merchandising is an easy, effective way to build incremental sales in your pharmacy. When you incorporate cross-merchandising strategies, you offer shoppers convenient, one-stop shopping and allow them to add more items to their basket than they might if they were simply shopping one department. There are many opportunities to implement cross-merchandising strategies. Here are two ideas to get you started:
1. Establish a seasonal endcap
When summer rolls around, many shoppers head to the pharmacy to stock up on sunscreen for the season. With warmer temperatures and more outdoor activities, these shoppers might also be interested in purchasing insect repellent, lip balms with sun protection, and first aid supplies. Create an endcap that highlights the products your patients need to stay well during the season, and rotate it as the year goes on to feature back-to-school necessities, cold and allergy season supplies, etc.
2. Look to health conditions for cross-merchandising ideas
Certain categories, such as diabetes care, naturally offer opportunities for cross merchandising. Your patients with diabetes will appreciate finding items designed for their unique needs from foot care, skin care, or other health and beauty categories all in one place. Additionally, use this opportunity to showcase the sugar free candy, lozenges, cough syrups, or nutritional foods these patients seek to encourage them to add additional items to their baskets.
Approach cross merchandising as an opportunity to stretch your creativity and highlight your pharmacy’s ability to customize services to patients’ needs, and enjoy the added sales that occur as a result.
In support of TEMPS, HRG’s merchandising program, Lisa evaluates and presents new items as a part of the new item review team and develops planograms for one of our key regional wholesale accounts. Lisa works directly with manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retailers to analyze customer-specific data and develop specialized planogram solutions.