Previously in this series, we covered reasons to open an independent pharmacy, selecting a location for the pharmacy, and setting up the new store. In this final entry, we discuss opening the store and attracting customers.
Your store is now set up. Your floor plan is well thought out and conducive to customer service and security. You have well-devised store branding with creative and inviting colors and textures to help entice customers. You have the perfect custom pharmacy store fixtures. Your store is stocked. Everything is ready. The only thing that is missing is the customers. How do you get them through the door?
Advertise
If you have the financial means you can take out ads in local papers or on the radio. This is a good way to raise awareness of your store, but it is not always cost-effective. You can spend money and the people you need may not see the advertisement.
Make Your Store Attractive
This is an absolutely free form of advertising. Make your store eye-catching to people passing by. Create interesting and fun window displays. Change your window displays often to keep them fresh. You can use this to help focus on new retail products or to keep your store up to date with the seasons. In good weather, you can even move signage outside onto sidewalks or by the street. Just make sure you check local ordinances before you do this.
Partner with Local Doctors
You can try to foster good relations with local doctors. You can recommend these physicians to your customers who have medical questions. In turn, these doctors may be more likely to recommend you to their patients. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, but it can take time to foster them.
You can also actively sell your services to other local medical center. For instance, you can contact local nursing homes or retirement communities to try to get a contract to fill their prescriptions. Contracts like this can help a pharmacy grow and thrive.
Thank you for reading our series on opening a pharmacy. If you have opened a pharmacy and have advice for others, please share below in the comments.