SHELF OBSESSED

Your pharmacy shelving can do much more than just display and store merchandise. You just have to know how to use it.

As an independent pharmacist, you have lots expenses to stay on top of. However, if you want to stay successful – and even legal – you must take the time (and money) to make sure your pharmacy is updated in three key areas.

Do you think your pharmacy shelving is just "there," only to serve simple storage and display purposes? Not true. You can actually add value both for yourself and your customers by using pharmacy shelving in specific ways.

Are you building a new pharmacy or remodeling an existing one? If so, you'll need help with the planning and construction stages.

Pharmacy shelving is ubiquitous to your business – a necessary component that displays merchandise attractively for your customers and keeps it neatly organized in your stockroom and pharmacy area.

Developing a loyal customer base is the key to not just surviving, but thriving as an independent pharmacy amid a sea of big corporate competition. The key to building that solid customer base is making people feel good about using your pharmacy – better than they would feel about saving a few cents here and there shopping in those big box stores. So what can you do to create that sort of customer experience?

If you need to upgrade your pharmacy shelving but have been forced to keep it on the back burner due to financial considerations, you should know that your much-needed pharmacy facelift doesn't have to be put off indefinitely. The upgrades can be conducted – and conducted well – on a tight budget with some careful planning. Here, we've put together some tips that can help you upgrade your pharmacy shelving and/or fixtures without breaking the bank.

If your goal is to carve out a niche for your business as a unique, responsive, community-minded independent pharmacy, distinctly different from the big box competition, a cookie-cutter layout and atmosphere definitely isn't the way to get there. You need something that is as distinctly different from the look and feel of those corporate chain stores as your business strives to be. So how can you go about achieving that goal? Isn't pharmacy shelving pretty much standard – a one size fits all sort of thing?

Are your profit margins not as generous as they should be? Fortunately, new technologies (features, functionality, materials, and designs) in pharmacy shelving can help.

If your pharmacy budget is tight, you can still upgrade pharmacy shelving and fixtures as necessary. You can comply with recent industry changes and new rulings – and refresh your look if you need to, as well. All it takes is some proper planning.