15 Offer strategies for pharmacies
Pharmacies exist in a highly competitive market. To attract new customers, to retain existing ones or to sell products in larger quantities, offers are important and versatile. In this report you will find a summary and suggestions on the subject of offers.
Content:
Why offers at all?
Even before the actual purchase, most customers know what they want to buy.
Offers should create a need in the customer to buy something that was not originally on the shopping list. If the goods are on the shopping list, the customer takes a larger quantity with him when he makes an offer.
Is that all you got?
Of course not. There are many reasons to offer products with the help of an offer promotion. New products, which the consumer does not know, can be offered more attractively.
Which pharmacies need offers?
We ourselves have often been confronted with pharmacists who do not think much of offers.
Since there are many reasons why individual items should be promoted with special promotions. There are almost none, why this should be avoided.
Some pharmacists complain that certain age groups show no understanding of supply actions, although this is probably a feeling rather than a statistic.
Offer Types
Let's look at the different techniques and media that can be used in connection with promotional offers.
There is no limit to the imagination in this area. Every now and then you need the courage to try something. Something that is not common or even completely new. Because how can a business stand out, which does everything just like the others?
1st Newsletter
With the help of newsletters you can inform your customers with the latest information about your store. In this context you can provide special offers for newsletter readers in the form of discount codes or coupon codes.
2. temporary offer
An offer should, if possible, always be limited in time, otherwise it loses its magic. Permanently low prices, as advertised by some chains, ensure that customers get pharmacies used to the price.
Without the WoW effect the egalitarian effect occurs. The quotation period should be documented to record the effect and to be able to make improvements afterwards.
3. seasonal offers
Some products are only available during special seasons. These products only achieve good prices in the season. For example, motorcycles are cheaper in autumn/winter than in other seasons.
If there is still a large remaining stock of such articles, it is possible to create interesting promotions in the weak months.
4. summer and winter sales
It is typical to sell the remaining goods after each season. Customers love such promotions, which again proves how important offers are. In Germany people like to buy good and cheap.
Rather untypical for pharmacies. But maybe this is what creates a recognition value in your pharmacy.
5. general overhaul
A very important, rarely used system that does not work in all industries and with all articles. The so called refurbished articles were cleaned, repaired and tested for function. These are offered at an unbeatable price.
6. sellout
There is not only the clearance sale. If a shop is to be closed, but also other events where a clearance sale makes sense. This can also be the case before a renovation or if completely different products are to be offered.
A sell-out also takes place when a product is to be taken off the market. This is usually the case when the product has reached its end-of-life phase according to its product life cycle.
Defective products can also be taken off the market, for example because of aesthetic defects.
7. the coupon
An easy way to advertise something at a more attractive price is the coupon. The advantage of this is that it can be in either printed or digital form.
Printed coupons, can be given to customers when purchasing items. They can be sent to target customers by circular letter or simply digitally by e-mail.
With this type of offer, only customers with a coupon receive the special price. The product is labelled as normal.
8. discounts
A classic form here is the quantity discount. With quantity discounts, both sides win. The buyer gets attractive prices and the seller has higher sales than usual.
Early bird, anniversary, loyalty, first-time order or points discounts are just one of many discount strategies.
9. 2 at the price of 1
How tempting are packages where two items are offered for the price of one. Of course, you won't have the same margin with this offer, but you will have new customers. Who in turn buy other products. As always, sacrifices have to be made before the harvest can take place.
10th Package Deals
Simply tie three to four articles together to form an attractive offer. A nice complete price rounds off the package. Creativity is required here. Word of the right package gets around quickly.
11. test products or test phase
Some products nobody wants to buy without having tested them. The most famous examples of this are test drives when buying a car and the perfume tester in the drugstore.
Imagine what it would be like for a romantic dinner for two, to apply a perfume that you don't even know what it smells like.
12. random rewards
It's not always about new customers. How can you reward your regular customers? These customers finance their business now and not in the future. Don't they deserve to be rewarded? Of course they do.
Bind your regular customers to your pharmacy.
13. customer cards
No, no stamp cards where one is given away after ten articles. This means a card for regular customers.
These customers, who have been paying reliably for years. A card with which your customer receives an invoice at the end of the month.
As a pharmacist, you know how risky this is. On the other hand, this is one way of ensuring that the regular customer only buys from you.
14. Give Away's
Who doesn't like presents? Isn't it nice to buy something and at the end of the shopping tour you get something nice as a present. Also in a retail shop articles can be given away as give-aways after consultation with the appropriate suppliers.
15. workshops
Why not ask for a short, crisp seminar that has been properly advertised beforehand? This creates trust and breaks the ice with potential new customers.
Price Indication Regulation
If you would like to know what needs to be stated regarding prices, please read this article.
My opinion
Offers should encourage customers to buy. All pharmacies should be keen to use these tools. Offers can not only be made directly on the product, but also passively in the background in the form of coupons and discounts.
There are different types of discount. Gifts can once again be the icing on the cake of customer service. Those who have no offers leave the economic success completely to the mercy of the customer.
As far as price marking is concerned, all visible products must have clearly visible price indications.
As a rule, pharmacies achieve 4% of their turnover with the free choice. Resourceful pharmacists have already increased their turnover to 50% with the help of pharmacist consultations, attractive category management and a sophisticated pricing system.
Do you have questions, suggestions or a completely different opinion? Just leave a comment.
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Disclaimer / Legal notice
Please note that this blog is not legal advice and cannot replace legal advice!
Pictures:
Counter from FotoArt-Treu
Boxes from Matt Briney
Mortar and pestle from stevepb
