When customers walk through the doors of your pharmacy, they’re on a mission. They know what they’re there for, whether it’s picking up a prescription, a pair of sunglasses to bring to the zoo, a magazine to read on the airplane, or a bottle of cough medicine for a family member. What they don’t know is what lies waiting for them in your pharmacy’s front end.
As they peruse the shelves, perhaps they’ll spot a pair of reading glasses they forgot they needed, or maybe a candy bar to serve as a snack on their drive to work that day. Maybe the cold weather is drying out their skin, and they spot a tube of specialty hand lotion made locally with organic products–one that’s not sold in chains. As an independent pharmacy owner, you have the power to put not only hot-selling items in your front end, but unique items that will draw in even more sales.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Costume jewelry: Present some styles that are fun and unique. Offer to display a local jewelry artists’ designs along with retail jewelry that follows the current trends.
- Trendy toys: Once upon a time, fidget spinners were the hot item that all the kids coveted. But since their days of popularity are long gone, find out the current toys that are becoming all the rage and stock up. Count on trusted suppliers for tips on what’s becoming popular, not those that are on their way out. It’s also good to have toys that never go out of style, such as coloring books, small puzzles, and cute, stuffed animals.
- Cell phone accessories: Pretty much every customer that walks into your store has a cell phone. Fill an area of your front end with cell-phone products, such as ear pods, phone holders, Bluetooth speakers, charging cables, screen-cleaning supplies, and more.
- Seasonal needs: In the summertime, put up a display of sunglasses, sun hats, ball caps, sunscreen, aloe vera gel, and bandages. When fall comes around, put up eye-catching Halloween displays carrying popular candy, costume makeup and accessories, decorations, and fun, Halloween books for kids. In the wintertime, set up displays with hats, gloves, and scarves for the family, small tissue boxes, unique lip balms and lotions (find some that are made by local artisans), and cold medications. And in the spring, display such things as egg-coloring kits, bunny rabbit toys, jelly beans, and other basket-worthy candy. Don’t forget to think outside the box when setting up your front-end displays. Decorate the displays to draw in kids and adults alike. Make them fun and memorable!
When stocking your front end with popular cold-and-allergy medications, pain-relief items, first-aid care, and other home-health products every family needs, look to some of these top products to sell, such as:
Cold/Allergy:
Robitussin Honey Cough + Chest Congestion DM Liquid – 4 oz.
Vicks VapoCOOL Severe Medicated Drops (Winterfrost) – 18 Count
DayQuil/NyQuil Severe Cold & Flu LiquiCaps – 16 Count
Pain Relief:
Aleve Back & Muscle Pain Tablets – 50 Count
Biofreeze Soothing Pain Relief Cream – 3 oz.
Aspercreme Lidocaine XL Patches – 3 Count
First Aid/Wound Care:
BAND-AID Adhesive Bandages (Family Variety Pack, Assorted Sizes) – 110 Count
New-Skin All-in-One Liquid Bandage – 1 oz.
Neosporin Original Triple Antibiotic Ointment – 1 oz.
Digestive Health:
TUMS Chewy Bites with Gas Relief (Lemon & Strawberry) – 28 Count
Alka-Seltzer PM Heartburn Relief + Sleep Support Gummies (Mixed Berry) – 46 Count
TUMS Extra Strength 750 Antacid Chewable Tablets (Sugar-Free Melon Berry) – 80 Count
Vitamins/Supplements:
Emergen-C Gummies (Orange Zest) – 30 Count
Natrol Melatonin 10 mg Gummies (Strawberry) – 90 Count
Bausch + Lomb PreserVision AREDS 2 Chewables (Mixed Berry) – 60 Count
Home Health:
3M Particulate Respirator 9502+N95 – 20 Count
LPOW Non-Contact Infrared Body Thermometer – 1 Count
Zacurate 500DL Pro Series Fingertip Pulse Oximeter – 1 Count
Eye/Ear Care:
Biotrue Multi-Purpose Contact Lens Solution – 10 fl. Oz.
TheraTears Dry Eye Therapy Lubricant Eye Drops – 0.5 fl. Oz.
Opcon-A Antihistamine and Redness Reliever Eye Drops – 0.5 fl. Oz.
Skincare:
Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soak (Activated Charcoal & Black Lava Salt) – 3 lbs.
Gold Bond Ultimate Cracked Skin Relief Fill & Protect Cream – 0.75 oz.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hand Gel Cream – 3 oz.
When you start stocking your shelves with products that generate more profit, you’ll make a whole lot more money out of your front end. Plus, by choosing the right items to sell, more people will walk through your doors, which will eventually turn them into new patients!
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
