7 tips to increase pharmacy sales
Key takeaways
• Increasing pharmacy sales is about making the right product visible at the right moment in the customer journey, not pushing a sale.
• The self-service parapharmacy area is where the opportunity lies: store layout and POS displays turn footfall into purchasing opportunities.
• These seven tips focus on merchandising strategies and are separate from the financial management of the pharmacy.
• POP Solutions designs, manufactures and installs your POS displays through its five design offices in Belgium and the Netherlands.
A pharmacy attracts a steady flow of customers every day, but a lot of sales take place outside the prescription journey. In the self-service parapharmacy area, visibility is key. With the right layout and product presentation, it captures attention and encourages purchases without ever interfering with professional advice. Here are seven practical ways to increase pharmacy sales, from the customer journey to POS displays, all areas that POP Solutions manages from design through to installation.
Merchandising: a key way to increase pharmacy sales
Merchandising, the art of making products visible and easy to choose, turns the self-service area into a sales driver. Store layout and product presentation guide customers, allowing them to identify, compare and select products independently, without pushing them to buy. The first step is understanding exactly what this area includes and what falls outside its scope.
Parapharmacy or pharmaceutical product: what is included?
A pharmacy welcomes both patients collecting prescription medicines and walk-in customers, within an environment primarily dedicated to health. Self-service products include:
- dermocosmetics,
- personal care,
- food supplements,
- sun care products,
- and baby care products.
Prescription medicines and pharmaceutical products, on the other hand, follow a different purchasing journey and fall outside the scope of these tips.
Tip 1: rethink your pharmacy customer journey
The customer journey determines what customers see and, therefore, what sells. From entrance to exit, every touchpoint matters: traffic flow, areas where customers naturally slow down and waiting time at the counter. Organising this journey within your pharmacy means guiding customers towards the product ranges you want to highlight.
Start by observing actual customer flows, then create a layout that positions the products you want to showcase along the busiest routes.
Tip 2: make the most of pharmacy hot spots
The hot spots in a pharmacy are the most visible and frequently visited areas:
- the entrance,
- the main aisle,
- the area around the counter,
- and the checkout.
Positioning high-turnover or high-margin products in these areas naturally increases their exposure and, consequently, their sales. Conversely, a new product relegated to a low-traffic area will remain unnoticed, regardless of its quality.
Tip 3: increase the visibility of self-service products
Visibility makes the difference between a product that gets noticed and one that gets overlooked. Displays, signage and a clear visual hierarchy make the product offering easy to understand at a glance and help guide customer choice. Well-designed POS displays position the right product at eye level, precisely when the customer is deciding what to buy.
To find out more, read our article on increasing product visibility in pharmacies and visit our dedicated pharmacy POS display page.
Tip 4: encourage impulse purchases at the counter
The counter is the ultimate impulse purchase area. While customers are waiting or receiving advice from the pharmacist, a well-designed counter display can showcase a new product, a seasonal format or a complementary product. Customers can then add an item they had not originally planned to buy, without the need for active selling.
Keep this space focused on a small number of key products: too much choice at the counter dilutes the impact.
Tip 5: enhance your pharmacy’s communication and identity
Visual communication builds trust from the very first glance. Window dressing, clear signage and seasonal POS displays give your pharmacy a recognisable identity. A pharmacy that pays attention to its image and showcases its services reassures customers, encourages loyalty and differentiates itself from nearby pharmacies.
Refreshing your window displays with the seasons also conveys a dynamic retail environment and encourages customers to step inside.
Tip 6: structure your product ranges to increase your pharmacy’s turnover
A clear product offering sells more effectively. Structuring your ranges means organising product categories, grouping complementary items and highlighting new products and promotions. This cross-merchandising strategy increases turnover by facilitating multiple purchases and product discovery.
Your turnover depends just as much on the clarity of your offering as on customer footfall: a well-organised retail area helps sell products that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Tip 7: invest in permanent POS displays to improve pharmacy profitability
A permanent display that can be reused from one campaign to the next costs less over time than a succession of disposable displays. Investing in permanent POS displays therefore directly supports pharmacy profitability. Reusable retail furniture and dismantlable structures extend the lifespan of your in-store fittings.
This approach to reuse also reduces the amount of material consumed and waste generated by each campaign, in line with POP Solutions’ commitment to responsible practices.
Why choose POP Solutions for your pharmacy POS displays?
POP Solutions brings the design, manufacturing and delivery of your displays together under one roof: one team and a single point of contact, from the initial sketch through to in-store installation. Its five design offices in Amersfoort, Antwerp, Mechelen, Nivelles and Liège develop every project on a bespoke basis, using FSC-certified cardboard as well as permanent materials such as wood, metal and plastic. Its EcoVadis Gold medal places the company among the top 5% of certified companies in its sector.
This expertise is backed by real-life projects, such as the eco-designed pharma POS solution developed for EG. POP Solutions works with pharmaceutical companies and parapharmacy brands including Pierre Fabre, Tilman, Caudalie, EG, Astel Medica and Puressentiel. Discover our projects.
Frequently asked questions
How can you increase parapharmacy sales?
By making the self-service product offering more visible and easier to understand. A well-designed customer journey, effective use of hot spots and carefully designed POS displays put the right product in front of customers at the right time. The store layout turns a pharmacy visit into a purchasing opportunity without pushing the sale.
Which areas of a pharmacy generate the most sales?
The busiest and most visible areas: the entrance, main aisle, area around the counter and checkout. These are ideal locations for high-turnover or high-margin products. They capture attention while customers are moving through the pharmacy or waiting to be served.
Are pharmacy POS displays only suitable for large pharmacies?
No. Every display can be designed bespoke, regardless of the size of the pharmacy. POP Solutions adapts the dimensions, materials and number of displays to the available space and budget, from compact counter displays to permanent shelf furniture.
Want to turn your pharmacy layout into a sales driver?
POP Solutions designs your bespoke POS displays, from the initial sketch through to in-store installation, with a single point of contact and permanent materials. Its EcoVadis Gold medal reflects a tangible commitment to responsible practices. Contact our POS display experts to discuss your project.