How Community Pharmacy Can Retain Customers During Festive Season

The festive season is towards the end of the year and the beginning of the next year. It is a time Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the world celebrate the new year. The celebration comes with lots of activities. These activities provide lots of opportunities for community pharmacy.

Festive season

People want to shop during this period. That is because they have to save for it. However, nobody wants to shop in a community pharmacy selling drugs. But because of their lifestyle, one thing must bring them. They want to enjoy the season with good health but their lifestyle during this period is the opposite of what they want. They will be willing to pay for good health by buying drugs when they fall ill. Others in the hospital hasten medical doctors just to get discharged from the hospital.
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Utilizing this period well can have a positive effect on the business throughout the year. That is why community pharmacy must utilize it to their advantage. In this post, we will see what community pharmacy can do and how it can affect the business positively.

Stock

This is where many community pharmacies make mistakes. Many wholesalers close shop for the season before the festive season begin. The time varies from wholesaler to wholesaler. This is also true of pharmaceutical manufacturing company. They open about a week into the new year. What does this mean for community pharmacy? Stock the shop with products that sales will last up to the new year. That way, community pharmacy can stay in business during this period. Out-of-stock is too expensive to bear. The quantity of drugs needed will depend on so many factors.

Decor

In the spirit of the season, community pharmacy can make small design to reflect on the season. However, the decor should attract and not detract. It should not disturb normal business.

Show Best Customers Love

A very common way to do this is to give gifts to loyal customers. Many community pharmacies give gifts to customers that spend more during they year. It is better to give gifts to customers that are loyal irrespective of the value of their purchase. To balance it, give gifts of various value to different customers depending on their purchasing character and not purchasing power. Mr A may visit my shop two times in a year to buy goods worth 1 million naira and visit others to buy from them. Mr A is not loyal but deserves a gift. Mr B spent only half a million naira during the same time period visiting over 20 times. Mr B never went to other shops. Mr B is loyal. He deserves a gift. To me, Mr B deserve better because he has shown that he will remain faithful for long. Mr A may be lost to other community pharmacy because he may not be impressed with the gift.

Another method to show customers love is to open a day or so for customers to get goods at discounted rates. Such shopping tradition have helped to keep customers loyal to a community pharmacy because of this. Buying with discount require the customer to present past receipt. New customers may benefit from the promo but not as much as old customers. This way, the community pharmacy win new customers and retain old ones. Social media and website is the easiest way to announce such shopping promo. Focus on selling supplements on such promo because it is not possible to fall sick on the day of the promo but supplements do not require a prescription as they are use to build on health.

Staff

Invest in staff. Detail promotional offer for them if they perform. Remember the workload for the period will increase. Look out if the staff-to-customer ratio is ok. Create a roster that will balance the workload.
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Ailments

This period is for food and drink. Many people will not consider their eating habits. They are ready to eat anything that comes their way. Those suffering from health condition may worsen their health condition due to their new lifestyle. At the end, many fall sick. Unfortunately, medical doctors may not be available to attend to them in the hospital. They end up in the community pharmacy. Here is an opportunity for community pharmacy to make a mark.

Before the beginning of the season, community pharmacy should consider the common ailments associated with the season and their treatment. This way, they can stock the right drugs. Some of the common conditions are;

• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Typhoid
• Bloat
• Burning sensation
• Hangover

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