Merchandising techniques in a pharmacy. Coursework: Merchandising in a pharmacy. What is merchandising

Most competent pharmacy workers from the first steps try to put the buyer in a positive mood and avoid any manifestations of negativity. Improper product placement is a costly mistake, so medical representative preferences must be approached with caution. To understand how fair his arguments are for expanding the company’s range and whether it is worth responding to the request to move the drug to a better place, the pharmacist and pharmacist need to have basic merchandising skills.

What does merchandising do?

As you know, there are different product categories on the pharmaceutical market. All marketed products, and there are approximately 30 thousand of them, can be divided into three parts:

1. medical products;
2. cosmetics and dietary supplements;
3. medicines.

As for the latter, as is known, prescription (ethical) drugs should be dispensed only as prescribed by a doctor. Over-the-counter (OTC) group, which is freely available, without the requirement to present a prescription. However, we all understand that de facto the pharmaceutical market in Ukraine is over-the-counter.
In addition, today an increasing share of the domestic “pharmacy basket” is beginning to be occupied by dietary supplements, skin care products and other parapharmaceutical products. Due to the increased promotional activity of manufacturing companies, the share of medicinal cosmetics in the total volume of pharmacy sales is gradually increasing. This is also facilitated by the growing number of pharmaceutical markets, where the likelihood of making spontaneous purchases is much higher than in classic pharmacies. That is why merchandising events are of particular importance in our market.

What is merchandising?

It seems that one of the most successful definitions of this term was given by the American Marketing Association (AMA): “Merchandising is the field marketing activities, aimed at focusing buyers’ attention on certain products.” Essentially, merchandising is the ability to maximize your turnover without changing the topography of the pharmacy.
Here is another definition, synthetic: “Merchandising is one of the components of marketing aimed at improving products and increasing sales volume retail enterprise" In other words, merchandising is a set of activities, including the development and implementation of methods, as well as all kinds of technical solutions, the purpose of which is to promote goods and attract customers to a specific outlet to increase its profits.

Historical reference
For the first time people started talking about merchandising in the USA in the years Great Depression(1930-1935). It was a difficult period for the country; one of the most severe crises hit the population. The struggle for buyers has increased a hundredfold. One of the ways to improve competitiveness is merchandising. Thoughtful product placement contributed to increased sales. Soon pharmacies also took advantage of new technologies.

What is the role of merchandising in a pharmacy?

Now in Ukraine, many pharmacy chains have a staff position called a marketer. The task of the marketer is to make sure that people come to the pharmacy with the help of promotions, promotions, advertising and other events. large quantity of people. And merchandising activities affect potential buyer already inside the pharmacy as soon as he crossed its threshold. Whether a person who comes to a pharmacy is “converted” into a client depends on inner harmony pharmacies and the professionalism of the pharmacists at the first table.
You often hear from directors of pharmacy chains: “I hired a marketer, but there’s no point!” I ask: “Why none?” “Yes, sales are not growing!” - they answer.

It is advisable to look into this issue.
The foundation of a pharmacy’s success rests on three pillars: positioning, including pricing, service, and work with personnel. Still, it is very useful to find out where the chain of properly established customer-oriented work of a pharmacy breaks. At the stages of attracting people to the pharmacy? Perhaps leaves something to be desired better job personnel or insufficient level of services provided to clients? Or maybe the pharmacy itself doesn't pay enough attention to merchandising efforts. The importance of using these techniques is confirmed by a number of indicators (research by the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute):

3 out of 10 purchases are made thanks to a well-designed display window;
drugs displayed in a properly designed display case sell 6 times better than those displayed in traditionally designed display cases.

It would be appropriate to quote the well-known motto of a merchandiser, which reveals the connection between merchandising and commercial success.

Lack of goods on shelves is suicide for an institution; the usual arrangement of goods on shelves is just a defense against competitors. And only the correct placement of goods is an attack and success.”

Proper arrangement of goods for different types of demand

Pharmacy products divided into 3 groups have their place. Purchasing a number of goods is a rather intimate matter, such as the choice of feminine hygiene products, problem skin care products, and dietary products. Some products, such as antifungals or lice medications, seriously reduce the status of the buyer, and if such products are in a crowded area, many will choose to go to another pharmacy.
A shelf organizer is often used, allowing, for example, to separate preventive medications from medications against influenza. In pharmacies, zones can be identified in groups of over-the-counter drugs and related products. Many buyers do not know that homeopathic medicines trading floor are allocated to a separate group, and do not understand on what basis the groups are divided, for example, remedies for colds, coughs, and flu. The most persistent customers immediately ask in which department the desired product is located, while the polite and shy ones, after standing in one line, go to the tail of another. Or they leave without even making planned purchases.
Pharmacies located in business districts can create a special “office” area, where there are means to reduce psychological stress, fatigue during sedentary work in the office, working with a computer, to quickly eliminate the first signs colds, voice restoration for those who often speak at meetings. Such accents help the pharmacy gain the image of an assistant to business people.

Do not forget that merchandising also includes such activities as timely inclusion of drugs in the stock list and proper placement of POS materials (POS - point of sale - place of sale). By the way, this is not the last tool that can increase sales of your product.
Here are some features of the display of drugs and placement of POS materials in the pharmacy:

Increased sales volume when moving goods from the dead zone and from hand level to eye level; decrease - from eye level to hand level.
The most effective is to place the drugs at eye level. Thus, by simply rearranging a product from shelf to shelf, you can significantly vary the volume of its sales, up to 80%.
On the lower shelves, which are considered a “dead zone” for an adult, it is advisable to place goods for children, then they will be at the child’s eye level, and he will be able to pick them up. Creating a sense of multiplicity of goods also leads to increased turnover. And again, let us remember the locomotive rule we have already discussed: in the vicinity of the leading brand in a given group, you can place a drug that needs to attract attention.


Do not forget that a properly organized retail space allows the visitor to most fully realize all the motives for making a purchase, both rational and emotional. Maximizing the turnover of a pharmacy by optimizing the use of its resources - material and human - is the main task of merchandising.
The principles of merchandising are based on the basic physiological characteristics of human behavior and perception environment. When talking about placing the drug at eye level, it is important to emphasize the need to provide the buyer with ease of perception. Arranging drugs into groups serves the same purpose. After all, the search for what you need medicine a person begins by deciding on the localization of the group to which he belongs. Creating a sense of multiplicity of goods is achieved by placing several product samples next to each other and reflecting them in mirrored display cases. The effect of product multiplicity can be enhanced and its recognition increased if the display is carried out around the leading brand.
A good solution is "locomotive principle", when not the leading, but the most advertised brand is used. In this case, they proceed from the following considerations: the buyer will certainly pay attention to the advertised drug, but there should always be a choice - after all, if it turns out that it does not meet all the requirements (for example, the price is not satisfactory), the client will automatically switch his attention to a neighboring drug. This layout is also appropriate for new drugs.
There is an opinion that the most expensive products of the group should be placed in the “hottest” places. This is true, but we should not forget about the layout by type Price Leader. It may become optimal for pharmacies whose target audience is the population with low solvency, when the price of the drug, rather than popularity, may be a more significant factor in making a purchase decision trademark. This is very important point. Drugs according to this principle should ideally be included in the range taking into account the needs target audience of this pharmacy.
It should also be remembered that seasonal drugs should occupy the best places in the display cases during the peak season (for example, in the spring - antihistamines, in the winter - cold remedies, etc.), and out of season they can be moved back. Often in pharmacy supermarkets you can see a display “under the ruler” or, even worse, pyramids and other geometric shapes from packages. Visually it seems beautiful, but psychologically most people do not want to break the existing symmetry. In some cases, the design of the showcase should be sacrificed for expediency. When there is a gap in the row of standing drug packages, this creates the illusion of brisk trade (someone has already bought this drug or product) and on an emotional level stimulates the purchase.
The task of merchandising is not only the placement of goods, but also efficient use advertising in the sales area. Just five years ago, pharmacies gladly placed on the sales floor all the advertising materials that medical representatives brought them, and even asked them to bring more. Today, too, you can sometimes find pharmacies abundantly and haphazardly filled with promotional products. However, placing POS materials will be most effective at eye level near the cash register or in places as close as possible to it. The buyer often studies promotional products, bored in line, when there is simply nothing to do.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that most people are right-handed and have a fairly standard type of behavior indoors, that is, after a short linear movement, they turn their attention to objects located to their right hand in a clockwise direction. Thus, you can place advertising materials opposite and to the right of the entrance to the pharmacy.
Of course, there is no universal way to place products and visual support. It all depends on the characteristics of a particular pharmacy (shape of the sales area, location of the entrance, etc.). You can accurately determine the direction of customer flows by observing the movement in the sales area for 30-40 minutes. It’s also worth putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes and thinking about what placement of your products and POS materials would be most appropriate in a particular case.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………....3

1. BASIC CONCEPTS AND ARISE OF MERCHANDISING ………………………………………………………..5

1.1 History of merchandising……………………………………………...7

1.2 The current stage of development of merchandising……………………….9

1.3 Goals and basic rules of merchandising………………………....10

2. MERCHANDISING IN PHARMACY, ON THE EXAMPLE OF AVICENNA PHARMACY………………………………………………………….……22

2.1 Assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of the most important elements of visual merchandising in a pharmacy market……………….25

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………...32

BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………….33

INTRODUCTION

In the modern world there are a huge number of manufacturers, sellers, distributors of goods and services. At the same time, any enterprise representing and selling products is interested in a developed and stably functioning sales system. The better and better the sales strategy is thought out, the more products will be sold and the more profit the company will receive.

Global changes have occurred in the Russian pharmaceutical market over the past decades: privatization of property, growth in the number of entities pharmaceutical market, liberalization of prices, increasing the range of goods and services sold by pharmaceutical enterprises. All this leads to the fact that supply outstrips demand, that is, the seller's market has transformed into a consumer market. The realities of the economy require a scientifically based approach to organizing sales and acquiring new knowledge in a competitive environment. How did merchandising emerge as a response to market demands? a discipline that develops a set of measures to increase sales at the point of sale.

Object of research for course work? merchandising and its impact on purchasing power. The subject of the course work is the methods and techniques of merchandising used in the pharmaceutical business.

The purpose of the course work is a multifaceted disclosure of the concept of merchandising, identifying nuances in the application of merchandising in the activities of a specific pharmacy organization. To achieve this goal, the following tasks should be completed:

· consider the general provisions of the scope of merchandising;

· study the ways and means of using merchandising in the field of pharmacies;

· consider the procedure for forming a positive image of the pharmacy;

· try to justify and recommend ways to improve the use of merchandising.

The work consists of two chapters, which discuss the relevance of the work, goals, objectives and general rules merchandising, a specific area of ​​application in pharmacies, the formation of a positive image of a pharmacy in modern conditions is explored and considered psychological aspect sales of goods in pharmacies.

In this regard, the relevance of this work leaves no doubt. The research conducted on this topic is of significant interest to representatives of the pharmaceutical industry.

1. BASIC CONCEPTS AND ARISE OF MERCHANDISING

What do experts call the 21st century? century of consumption of goods and services, which is due to scientific and technological progress and an increase in the standard of living of the population both in countries with developed and developing market economies. Coming in first place marketing strategies, focusing not on similar products from different manufacturers, but on the services that the purchase of these goods will provide to the consumer.

Not so long ago, pharmaceutical enterprises and organizations in our country were perceived as trade establishments in the last place. Pharmacies were, first of all, places where medicines were distributed at symbolic prices. This situation changed with the introduction of a market economy. Firstly, some pharmaceutical enterprises became privately owned, while enterprises that remained in state and municipal property, were transferred to self-sufficiency. Secondly, the rapid growth of the pharmaceutical sector and the opening of the market to Western and Eastern companies has led to increased competition, both between manufacturers and between wholesale and retail intermediaries. As a result, while maintaining the role of pharmaceutical enterprises as, first of all, healthcare institutions, issues of managing the market activities of the enterprise are becoming increasingly relevant.

Merchandising (from the English word “merchant”? merchant, trader)? this is the art of trading.

Some sources claim that the word "merchandising" comes from the name of the god of trade and commerce in Greek mythology? Mercury, which implies the ability to carry out effective trading activities with the achievement of good financial results with accompanying luck and a creative approach.

In an increasingly competitive environment, merchandising is becoming increasingly important as a new organizational concept. trading activities on modern stage. The following are some definitions of the concept of “merchandising” found in various sources devoted to this marketing specialization.

Merchandising? This:

· An integral part of marketing, activities aimed at ensuring the most intensive promotion of goods at the level retail;

· An integrated approach to the design and arrangement of the sales area and the choice of an externally noticeable style of the enterprise, used for the fastest possible promotion of goods in retail trade;

· A set of activities aimed at increasing sales volume;

· A tool for promoting goods at the point of sale by creating an atmosphere in the pharmacy that is conducive to shopping;

· The Five H Principle? the right product in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity and at the right price.

In some foreign sources, the word “merchandising” has two meanings: merchandising itself and visual merchandising.

Merchandising in a pharmacy? This is an area of ​​marketing activity aimed at advertising over-the-counter drugs by attracting the attention of visitors to certain products at the point of sale in order to increase sales. Elements of merchandising: concept of place, appearance of the pharmacy, organizational design, equipment and equipment of workplaces, placement of goods.

The importance of merchandising of over-the-counter drugs is determined by the development of self-medication, the possibility of choice, the availability of many identical drugs at affordable prices, making most purchasing decisions directly retail outlets and pharmacies. Basic requirements for merchandising in a pharmacy? this is convenience, sales promotion, compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities.

The benefits of merchandising are felt not only by the pharmacy, but also by the buyer. The purchasing process becomes easier and more enjoyable for him. The buyer has the opportunity to immediately see all the products on the display and choose what he needs.

1.1 HISTORY OF MERCHANDISING

Merchandising was born in ancient times, when people did not yet use money. Already during barter trade, the ability to beautifully and correctly arrange your goods and organize your trading and barter place gave good results the first traders. In ancient times it was much more difficult for them than for our contemporaries, also because merchants often spoke different languages ​​with their customers.

Since then, one of the rules of merchandising has become: “Everything should be clear to the buyer with minimal explanation from the seller.” The scale of trade in past centuries allowed the owner of a trading enterprise to personally control merchandising and think through its strategy, but the most important knowledge of the merchant owner was the knowledge of the favorable ratio of short-term and long-term profits.

Happened at the end XIX century, significant changes in the world economy, during the industrial revolution and the formation of machine production, mediated changes in merchandising in the form of its certain degradation. On at this stage With the development of machine production, more people were attracted to the field of trade. People “from the outside” became sellers and managers of goods, i.e. this type of activity ceased to be an intra-family affair. There was a decrease in the training of sales personnel, but it was no longer required to the same extent. Despite the growth in the volume of commodity mass, the commodity units themselves became impersonal to a certain extent, as a result of which it was necessary to stock only samples of batches of products in retail stores. Since production took place in monopoly organizations, no one was interested in the personal interests and requests of the buyer, he had to adapt to the consumption of mass-produced goods, because there was no other alternative.

Thus, the need for merchandising has ceased to be relevant. At the dawn of machine production, in the absence of a consumer market, both manufacturing firms and sellers felt completely confident and did not need additional tools sales promotion.

To the beginning of XX century, it became obvious that efforts to reduce costs without improving appearance and the ergonomics of the product are not able to give the desired result. Manufacturers of goods began to pay increased attention to their aesthetics, such changes intensified the development of marketing communications, gave a great impetus to their development, and thus merchandising gets a “second life”.

The rapid post-war (1950) growth in the number and size of trading enterprises and the emergence of retail chains led to the need to train sellers in the art of merchandising. Are specially trained employees starting to stand out? merchandisers. The tasks facing them are becoming more and more complex: large areas of new shopping centers make it difficult to analyze the relationship between display, distribution of retail space and sales profitability. To maintain the ability to manage the sales process in new conditions, special methods and programs are being developed. The components of merchandising begin to include a variety of methods of influencing the psyche of potential consumers, stimulating them to make a purchase.

Due to evolution, merchandising has become a sales tool that provides significant competitive advantages.

1.2 THE CURRENT STAGE OF MERCHANDISING DEVELOPMENT

How often do they joke about fashion: “New? this is a well-forgotten old thing.” The importance of merchandising is growing not only due to the increasing role of retailers. There have also been major changes in buyer motivation and behavior. These today include the formation of a generation of “mature” consumers and the absence in the eyes of consumers of significant differences in the properties of brands presented on the market. These two factors are inextricably linked. Features of “mature” consumption lie in the consumer’s full awareness and use of their rights to information when choosing guaranteed access to a variety of goods and services at competitive prices. Buyer started XXI century tends to weigh options more carefully and make acquisitions in accordance with the overall life strategy. He is not as easily persuaded by advertising and promotion techniques and is more knowledgeable about the retail industry. The main deficiency he experiences is ? it's a time crunch.

1.3 GOALS AND BASIC RULES OF MERCHANDISING

A well-thought-out merchandising program should help increase profits and improve the competitiveness of a pharmacy organization. The result of merchandising is to stimulate the consumer’s desire to choose and buy the product being promoted and sold.

Merchandising goals:

1. Increasing the convenience of purchasing (increasing customer loyalty). The main purpose of merchandising? make it easier to find the product the client needs in the pharmacy, make the purchasing process convenient and even enjoyable for the buyer.

2. Increasing the completeness of the assortment display. This goal is due to the fact that the consumer rarely pays attention to all the products presented in the pharmacy. Increasing the number of products not just displayed on the sales floor, but attracting the buyer’s attention, can significantly increase sales.

3. Drawing attention to individual products. An important goal of merchandising is not only a general, but also a selective (selective) increase in the sale of certain products in the pharmacy range.

4. Increasing the time the buyer spends in the pharmacy. Every business has an interest in extending the amount of time customers voluntarily spend there. With every additional minute, the likelihood of a buyer making a purchase increases. There is a rule in merchandising: “The time we have is money we don’t have.” Therefore, merchandising efforts should be aimed at ensuring that customers make informed choices in a short period of time.

Thus, in order to get the consumer to make a purchase, it is necessary to go through all the previous steps step by step, and for this it is first of all important to develop an action plan and strategy.

Pharmacy atmosphere

It is desirable that the pharmacy evokes associations with life, light, health, and vigor. If it is pleasant to be in a pharmacy, and it lifts the mood even for a person who is feeling unwell, it means that it will leave the visitor in the soul good impression, and his interest in the pharmacy range will increase.

The atmosphere is made up of several factors:

Of course, a pharmacy begins with a sign. And also from the street storefront and the facade as a whole. An original solution to the appearance of the pharmacy will arouse the interest of a passerby and turn him into a curious visitor. It is good if, starting from the facade, the pharmacy is decorated in the same style (branded logo on seller badges, branded colors of the hall, branded shopping bags, etc.). This improves memorization. A pharmacy or pharmacy chain that has its own individual style evokes trust, a sense of responsibility, good organization, and professionalism.

Another component that forms the atmosphere of a pharmacy is? lighting. It should be optimal so that the buyer does not have to strain his eyesight or squint from too bright light. It is desirable that the light has a warm tint or is neutral white.

The color scheme of the interior also influences perception. Research shows that warm tones (shades of red and yellow) and cool tones (shades of blue and green) have opposite effects. Do warm tones excite? Even the physiological indicators of the body change: heartbeat and breathing become more frequent, blood pressure increases. Cold tones, on the contrary, calm down and help the buyer concentrate.

You can draw attention to a group of products using color contrasts:

Place packages of contrasting colors next to each other;

Place in the center of the group the product whose packaging uses the strongest contrasting shades;

Place the product on a contrasting background.

Contrasting colors? yellow, red and blue. Weaker and less irritating contrast: orange? violet? green (Appendix Table 1).

However, the contrast should attract attention, and not complicate perception. The random use of contrasting tones only confuses.

Another rarely used atmospheric component? smells. What does the pharmacy smell like? As a rule, with medications. Buyers are used to this, but it is important that the smell does not become too strong and does not cause unpleasant associations with a hospital ward.

And, of course, we must not forget about convenience for visitors. It is advisable to place products relevant for the elderly and disabled people near the entrance and? if the pharmacy is two floors? only on the first floor. If the size of the room allows, place a couple of chairs, ? there will be somewhere to sit a restless baby while the mother chooses diapers for him, elderly people, frequent visitors to pharmacies, will have a place to relax. Plants and, of course, cleanliness create a cozy and homely, trusting atmosphere in the pharmacy in which the visitor will want to linger.

Pharmacy layout

In a modern pharmacy, two main types of layout are accepted: a counter-type (closed) pharmacy and a market pharmacy (with goods displayed on the sales floor).

In a pharmacy with a traditional counter, an innovation has appeared: human-sized glass display cases, where drugs are located, as a rule, in two levels: the first? at waist level, second? at eye or chest level. Such a display increases the display area of ​​the product and brings it closer to the buyer.

When planning departments, it is necessary to take into account some patterns of customer behavior. As a rule, the buyer wants to find what he needs without walking long distances or returning to the same place several times. Most buyers? right-handed; they prefer to walk straight and tend to look and take goods that are on the right. When walking around the hall, do most customers turn left? counterclock-wise. In this regard, the location of goods in a pharmacy can be divided into two main categories? strong points and weak points. (Appendix Fig.2)

The space near the entrance should be as free as possible; there should not be any large advertising materials here ( billboards, large posters), equipment, large plants, etc. But it does not at all follow from this that all goods must be located in the most accessible places directly opposite the entrance. It is not necessary that the buyer, as soon as he steps on the threshold of the pharmacy, immediately sees the product on the display window. It is important that from the first steps in the pharmacy the buyer is informed about where to buy it. And then even a “weak” place will attract the visitor’s attention.

Merchandising rules regarding product display

“The Merchandising Loop.” The buyer feels as if he is independently traveling through the supermarket. In fact, he is being “led.” So, for example, getting into a pharmacy with a spacious trading floor, most buyers tend to turn right and then move along the hall in a counterclockwise direction. Without noticing it, the buyer walks through almost the entire trading floor, making, in addition to planned purchases, many impulse purchases (Appendix Fig. 1).

The task of merchandising at this stage is to direct buyers first of all to places where the most expensive and profitable goods are displayed. And not only direct, but also keep them at these display cases for as long as possible, attract attention, form positive associations and a desire to definitely buy these products right now.

Display methods. With the horizontal display method, products of the same name are placed on one or two shelves along the entire length of the display case. This method is effective for selling large packages.

With the vertical display method, products of the same name are laid out on the shelves of one display case in several rows from top to bottom. The advantage of this method? good visibility and clearer delineation of displayed goods. Such a display contributes to good visibility, better orientation of the buyer when choosing a product and speeds up the sales process (Appendix Table 2). These tables show that buyers most actively perceive goods located in display cases at eye and hand level.

Most often in practice, a combined laying method is used, combining horizontal and vertical. It allows you to make the most efficient use of space and place more goods on the sales floor.

Rhythm in the display? This is the repetition of goods of similar size and other elements (price tags, decorative details, etc.) while maintaining equal distance between them. Rhythm also helps create a sense of order. Besides, a good way to draw attention to a certain product (if the area allows)? is it to put several packages of this product so that it alternates with others? and forming a rhythm in the display, and more often catching the eye of the buyer.

Because a pharmacy? it is, first of all, a health care institution that operates with permission and under the control of government agencies, then the display of goods should be carried out taking into account their requirements. Today there is a list of prescription drugs (Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia dated April 22, 2014 No. 183 “On approval of the list of medicines for medical use that are subject to subject-quantitative accounting”). In a pharmacy organization, the merchandising system is applicable only to medicines sold without a doctor’s prescription and other products in the pharmacy range.

Merchandising rules regarding POS materials

· The information display informs the buyer about the goods available for sale. The product is accompanied by brochures and posters;

· display-consultation introduces quality and methods of application;

· a reminder display reminds of related products and creates an image of the product.

Special advertising tools help create an advertising display. Their purpose: to direct the buyer to the product he needs. Compared to other methods of product promotion, information materials are relatively cheap and can partly compensate for the shortcomings associated with the lack of sales staff on the floor.

1. “Optimality” rule: In-pharmacy advertising should be placed for no more than 15-20% of drugs or products. An overabundance of advertising tires and confuses the buyer. Just as a pharmacy determines its assortment, a pharmacy should select POS materials for the most profitable part of the pharmacy assortment.

2. “Buyer Assistance” rule: Information must be easily accessible. It is desirable that the buyer can obtain most of the information on his own by studying the packaging, price tag or advertising poster, rather than jostling in line in order to get an answer to a basic question, for example, about the price of a product. Today, especially in a metropolis, it is easier for a person to visit another pharmacy than to endure the inconvenience.

3. Rule "KISS".KISS ? (abbreviated from English: Keepisshortandsimple) Keep it short and simple. Advertising messages to the buyer should be simple and unambiguous. It is desirable that the advertising message evokes understanding from the first reading and is well remembered. Another important application of the KISS rule is the name of the therapeutic group. There is no need to use professional pharmaceutical vocabulary when addressing the buyer. Labels intended for buyers must be understandable to a person without medical or pharmaceutical education.

4. Rule of “Cleanliness and Neatness”. Shelves, products, and promotional materials must be kept clean and undamaged. Pharmacy visitors will highly appreciate the cleanliness and neatness of the pharmacy.

Product merchandising rules

1. Rule of “Assortment and trade stock”. Trade stock? a collection of drugs and other goods stored in a pharmacy to cover future needs. Too large inventories impair the turnover of goods in running groups and financial resources, and a lack of inventory leads to the loss of customers and a significant decrease in sales volumes. One of the most important factors in creating the optimal product mix? demand. It is necessary to create a stock level sufficient for the continuous presence of the assortment in the pharmacy.

2. Rule of "Presence": Products presented on the shelf or advertised by POS materials must be on sale in quantities sufficient to meet demand. Encouraging a client to first buy something and then denying him the opportunity is, at the very least, unethical. In the absence of drugs or goods actively advertised for sale POS - materials or in the sales area itself, the pharmacy not only misses out on possible profits, but also undermines customer confidence. If the drug is not available in the pharmacy, there is no need to leave a sample of it on the display window, since the consumer is irritated by the absence of the product he has chosen (he understands that he was deceived, misled and simply wasted his time).

Let us remember that currently the main regulations regulating information and advertising of medicines in Russia are Federal laws: “On advertising”, “On medicines”, Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 17, 1995 No. 161 “On guarantees of the right of citizens to health protection when distributing advertising”, as well as additions to these documents.

3. Rule for rotation of goods in the pharmacy and shelf life? “FIFO”. Controlling product expiration dates consists of first selling products that have a shorter remaining expiration date. In trading practice, there is even a stable abbreviation for defining this rule, which can be translated into Russian as follows: “First to come, ? first to leave" (English: FirstIn? FirstOut!). Incoming batches of goods must be sold only after the previous ones have been completely sold out. In the self-checkout department, items coming from the inventory department are placed in the back because customers grab what's closest first.

4. The rule of “Determining a place on the display window.” When distributing retail space, specialists begin by allocating a place to each product in accordance with the sales volume. If a drug has a pronounced therapeutic effect, high sales figures and active advertising support, then you should not remove it from the display case, citing the fact that the product is already selling well. On the contrary, it should be given special attention, placing it in a priority place. For the pharmacy there is no profitable product at the display window? this is a loss of money.

6. Rule “Placement of price tags”. Purpose of the price tag? provide the buyer with price information. The average buyer will not buy a product if he has no idea about its price.

Visual Merchandising Rules

1. The “Figure and Background” rule. Isolating one drug against the background of others increases the sales volume not only of this drug or product, but also of the group as a whole. A person always singles out one object from the environment, while other surrounding objects become the background for some time. We use the figure and background rule when we want to focus the buyer’s attention on a specific drug or product to promote it.

Isolating a figure from the background can be achieved by:

· quantity or size, for example, the quantity of one product is larger than another, or the product is large in size;

· bright colors? red, yellow, orange colors are recognized faster by humans. People also pay attention to shiny or luminescent paints. Drugs with brightly colored packaging have a greater chance of becoming a figure;

· non-standard form of goods or packaging. In this case, the effect of novelty is triggered: a person tends to quickly notice everything new and unusual in his environment. Therefore, a non-standard, original product or packaging will be quickly noticed by the buyer;

· product lighting. What is well lit is better visible. Used when trading goods that the buyer must carefully consider;

· POS materials for the product. Properly placed POS materials are designed, firstly, to attract the buyer’s attention to specific product, secondly, to separate it from other similar products.

2. Rule of “Switching Attention”. In addition to the fact that a person tends to highlight a figure in the visual field, he needs to switch attention, that is, to search for the next figure in the background. This means that you cannot place similar (even bright) products in a long, strict line without visual accents. In such cases, switching attention can be provided by POS materials. The other extreme? too many products of different shapes, colors and sizes in one place? also does not allow a person to calmly switch from one subject to another.

3. Rule of “Grouping”. The rule of grouping reflects the peculiarities of a person’s perception and the peculiarities of his thinking. It is easier for a person to perceive information if it is grouped. Ideally, drugs should be combined into groups on several grounds simultaneously, for example, by therapeutic group, brand, method of use (external, internal), etc. the main task? lay out the drugs so that the buyer can easily navigate it.

4. Rule “7 ± 2”. According to research in the field of psychology, the scope of human perception is limited? at one point in time he can “grasp” and remember only five to seven, maximum nine objects. In a pharmacy, this number is reduced to three to five, because during the purchasing process the buyer performs several actions simultaneously. It can be recommended that the number of brands or POS materials in one row, on one display case, should not exceed five.

5. “Dead Zone” Rule: Everything that a stationary person sees around him is called the visual field. Objects that fall into the lower part of the visual field are often ignored. In this case, the lower left corner is the most unfortunate, ? This is where a person's gaze stops least often. Accordingly, the lower shelves of display cases, as those least inspected, should be occupied by large packages (for example, baby diapers).

Goods? "magnets"

The route that customers take around the pharmacy can and should be adjusted to ensure that all areas of the store are visited with high frequency. This is achieved through so-called lure goods or magnet goods (products that are most often sought by customers: for example, the same diapers in a children's pharmacy). By placing a popular product at the end of the hall and at the same time indicating its location using “silent reference” and other merchandising tools, you will “force” the buyer to go through the entire pharmacy to the treasured product. Along the way, he will get acquainted with products that he simply had not seen before.

Signs and signs in a pharmacy

The so-called “silent reference tools” help regulate the movement of consumer flow, indicating the location of groups of goods and payment nodes. Pointers are made in the form of inscriptions or symbols. Symbols, like inscriptions, must be easily recognizable. The color scheme of the index must contain no more than three colors. It is desirable that all signs be made in the same format and be consistent with the style of the pharmacy. The sign must be large enough to be noticed.

It is necessary to know all of the above merchandising factors and not miss any of them, that is, you need to clearly understand: what needs to be done and what we will get as a result of these actions. And for this, it is necessary that the pharmacy manager, as well as ordinary employees, be trained in the basic skills of pharmacy merchandising and know the rules for displaying goods in the pharmacy, otherwise the maximum possible profit will not be achieved.

2. MERCHANDISING IN A PHARMACY, USING THE EXAMPLE OF AVICENNA PHARMACY

After studying the theoretical material, we will consider the use of visual (demonstration) merchandising in a pharmacy. "Avicenna"? a pharmaceutical chain that has existed on the market for a long time and has managed to win the trust of regular customers. The company's pharmacy establishments are located in the city of Gelendzhik and the Gelendzhik region.

Today, LLC MFO "Avicenna"? this is a whole network of pharmacy enterprises; highly professional team of pharmacists and doctors; own personnel training strategy; unified pricing and assortment policy; automated system for managing business processes and inventory; career opportunity and professional growth for staff; 24-hour or extended hours of operation; information and reference center.

Organized and headed OOO Medical-Pharmaceutical Association "Avicenna" Ledin V.O., candidate medical sciences, neurosurgeon.

On July 17, 2007, he opened the largest pharmacy-market in the city of Gelendzhik on Polevaya Street, 29a. The concept of the pharmacy's assortment policy is completely unique. A person who is puzzled by the preservation, maintenance or restoration of healthy body functions will certainly find here not only the right drug, but will also receive the necessary recommendations from an experienced consultant. Convenient location and large selection medicines, the presence of a prescription department quickly gained popularity among the population. In the same year, on August 20, a branch of the pharmacy was opened at 125 Lunacharsky Street.

A year later, Avicenna Medica No. 1 was opened on the second floor of the pharmacy on Polevaya Street. This is a medical center with

opportunities for high-quality examination of various categories of patients in the main modern and progressive areas of laboratory diagnostics. The center produces a huge list of studies, from simple clinical blood and urine tests to the most complex studies (hormones, tumor markers, allergens, infections, immune status, genetic passport, osteoporosis, diagnosis of rheumatoid diseases, etc.).

In 2010, a pharmacy was opened in the village of Divnomorskoye. In May 2011, a pharmacy was opened in the city of Gelendzhik on Pervomaiskaya Street, 16, socially oriented towards vulnerable segments of the population. The pharmacy is designed for people with different incomes, including minimal ones. The social orientation of the activity is determined not only by the low price level, but also by the fixed minimum premium for the most popular medicines, the so-called “primary demand drugs”. In addition, a system of discounts using discount cards works successfully. All this ensures the availability of goods for all categories of citizens.

On June 26, 2012, a large modern pharmacy was opened on Griboyedov Street, no. 29, focused on the needs of children, pregnant women, postpartum women and newborns. The pharmacy, in addition to the standard assortment of the pharmacy market, offers customers a wide range of medicines for children, children's cosmetics and hygiene, baby food, products for pregnant women and nursing mothers. The pharmacy also has a children's corner where children can play under the supervision of qualified specialists while parents choose a product or receive advice.

July 1, 2013? A pharmacy is opening in Gelendzhik on Mayachnaya Street, 1. In the same year, on October 8, the opening of “Avicenna Medica” No. 2 took place? second medical center with a range of high-quality medical services and the latest equipment, which is located on Griboyedov Street, 29.

This year, on April 6, it is planned to open a large pharmacy market at 67 Zh Ostrovsky Street.

Such dynamic growth and successful development of the company depend on skillful personnel management, the culture of the pharmacy organization, planning economic activity, strategy, marketing, including merchandising.

The Avicenna network has a unified standard of external and interior design, merchandising elements, packaging material. One of the principles of the organization is the creation of spacious, user-friendly, designer-designed, automated modern technology pharmacies

For supporting high level service and professional development of employees in the company there is The educational center, where employee training courses are held on an ongoing basis. To improve the quality of services provided and increase operational efficiency, the company regularly conducts marketing events together with manufacturing companies.

Special software products are actively used to support the activities of the inventory department and various pharmacy departments, allowing the creation of the necessary financial and analytical reports. By the way, modern information systems make it possible to conduct competitive procurement of products. From here it becomes possible to sell goods at minimum market prices, which has already been repeatedly noted by many online visitors.

Currently, pharmacy chain trading floors are represented by two types: traditional? with separation of departments full service like a supermarket? with partial service and a greater share of self-service. Each of these types has its own specific merchandising features.

There are no universal merchandising methods in the Avicenna pharmacy chain; product display is selected individually for each pharmacy. If there is sufficient space, an additional display of “traditional”, but not leading in terms of profitability, positions is carried out along with the most “profitable” goods in order to attract the buyer’s attention to them.

2.1 EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING IN A PHARMACY MARKET ON ST. GRIBOEDOVA, 29

The essence of visual merchandising is to stimulate retail sales by attracting the attention of end customers to certain brands or groups of products at points of sale without the active participation of special personnel.

Among the most important aspects of visual merchandising in a given pharmacy are the following:

1.Managing consumer attention. Behavior management activities are effective and do not lead to irritation on the part of the buyer; the natural human system and its components are taken into account: reflexes, attention, perception, as well as illusions of perception.

2. Internal layout of the pharmacy. A bright luminous sign, as well as a landscaped adjacent area, can attract maximum attention to a pharmacy on the street and create a desire to enter. The pharmacy sign is clearly visible on both sides of the street, it is lit 24 hours a day, and is in good condition. The signboard of the entire Avicenna chain is made in the same corporate style, which subconsciously evokes in customers a feeling of solidity and sustainability of the company.

3. Placement of inputs and outputs. This pharmacy has one entrance and one exit. The entrance to the pharmacy is clearly marked. There is a ramp and railings. The entrance area is clean and tidy. The entrance doors are transparent, there are no notices or advertising information on them.

The Avicenna pharmacy market on Griboedova Street, 29 specializes mainly in the sale of children's goods and baby food. Product range: medicines, children's cosmetics and hygiene products, baby food, products for pregnant women and nursing mothers, body and face care cosmetics, oral care, soap, shampoos, bath foams, orthopedic products, children's orthopedic shoes , children's toys, goods for newborns.

4. Taking into account the degree of newness of equipment. The equipment in this pharmacy includes: double-sided open shelving, display cases, slides, stands, retail equipment, cash register equipment. All equipment is new, clean and in good working order. All lighting fixtures in the sales area and on the equipment work.

5. Neatness. The hall is clean. There are no unpleasant odors. Promotional materials are placed neatly. There are no foreign objects on window sills, cabinets, or in the checkout area. The shelves on which the goods are placed are clean. The slides and racks have a neat appearance.

6. In-pharmacy information is located near the place of its use, that is, next to the product or the place of payment, the labels on the goods sold are well fixed, and a price tag is required. The price tag (barcode) is pasted on the packaging so as not to obscure the name of the product, manufacturer, or expiration date. Price tags are designed and placed uniformly.

7. The uniforms of the staff are made in the same style (fabric, color, style, trim), with embroidery of the pharmacy emblem. The style of clothing allows the organization to create a unified image.

8. Equipment installation system and placement of calculation units, in this case,? the layout and arrangement of equipment is done correctly; customers move around the entire perimeter of the pharmacy’s sales floor, which forces them to take a closer look at the goods and make purchases. The cash register is located in the center, which is very convenient for customers.

The buyer’s path to the prescription department and the cash register (“merchandising loop”) is organized as long as possible. The customer's route is adjusted to ensure that all areas of the pharmacy are visited with high frequency. This is achieved through so-called “magnet goods” and convenient system navigation.

The existence of “cold zones” and “hot zones” indicates a fairly rational distribution of operating space in this pharmacy. In the best places, in hot zones, popular impulse goods are located. In cold areas? strictly targeted goods and goods with low demand.

Moreover, the pharmacy has significant competitive advantages in relation to other pharmacy establishments: there is only one in this area, and therefore customers prefer to go here.

9. Display of goods. The visual merchandising practice of this trading enterprise combines two methods of displaying goods. Is the distribution of goods of the same type strictly observed during vertical display? from smallest to largest. The smaller product is located on the upper shelves of the display case, so is the larger one? on the lower ones, for example, hygiene products.

With horizontal display, a particular product is placed along the entire length of the equipment. The display takes into account that large or cheaper products should be placed on the lowest shelf of the display case.

Products in an open display are aligned along the front line of the shelf, laid out in one row in height (packages cannot be stacked one on top of the other, with an exception? It is allowed to place products in two rows if they are of the same name, but of different packaging, for example, baby formula.) The product is placed in one row in depth so as not to overlap the information on the packages and is accessible at arm's length, it is easy to remove from the shelf without adjacent packages falling off.

Products in closed display cases are placed so as not to obscure the information on the packaging. Products are facing the buyer with the front of the packaging. The space on the display shelves is distributed in such a way as to attract the attention of pharmacy visitors, ensure quick sale of goods and increase sales efficiency.

Trade stock rule.

Formation of the required level of pharmacy inventory, sufficient for the constant availability of the selected number of assortment items, should be carried out taking into account an integrated approach.

Trade stock is a collection of drugs and other goods stored in a pharmacy to cover future needs.

Too large inventories impair the turnover of goods in running groups and financial resources, and a lack of inventories leads to the loss of customers and a significant decrease in sales volumes.

Rule for rotation of goods in a pharmacy and shelf life (FIFO rule).

The movement of goods from the warehouse to the sales floor, as well as its sale, must be carried out according to the FIFO principle “First in, first out”, i.e. depending on the timing of their delivery and storage, the product that arrived at the pharmacy first should be moved first to the sales floor or sold.

Incoming batches of goods must be sold only after the previous ones have been completely sold out.

Controlling the order of receipt of goods and their shelf life, as well as carrying out FIFO rotation of displayed drugs is useful not only for increasing the profits of pharmacies, or rather preventing losses, but also for the convenience of the first-principal manager.

In the self-checkout department, items coming from the warehouse are placed in the back because customers grab what's closest first.

Merchandising rules regarding product presentation

Presentation rule.

Encouraging a client to first buy something and then denying him the opportunity is, at the very least, unethical. If drugs or goods that are actively advertised in the media or on the sales floor are not available for sale, the pharmacy not only misses out on possible profits, but also undermines customer confidence.

Before posting an announcement about the promotion, make sure that the pharmacy has sufficient stock and whether there will be any shortages at the wholesaler. Before placing POS material, check whether exactly the dosage form or product form that is depicted on it is available.

"Facing the buyer" rule.

The product must be positioned frontally, taking into account the buyer's viewing angle. The main information on the packaging should be easy to read and not obscured by other packaging and price tags.

The packaging of a drug or product is a unique carrier of information designed for promotion. By closing this information, the pharmacy loses a powerful advertising tool. It is better to place fewer drugs on the shelf than to place them in a dense mess.

To correct the position of the drugs relative to the buyer’s viewing angle, you can use stands and slides.

Rule for determining shelf space.

When allocating retail space, specialists begin by allocating space to each product in accordance with sales volume. The product's market share must correspond to the product's share on the shelf.

If the drug has a pronounced therapeutic effect, high performance sales and active advertising support, then you should not remove it from the display case, citing the fact that the product is already selling well.

On the contrary, it should be given special attention, placing it in a priority place. If a drug brings in 30% of the profit (100% is all the profit from a given therapeutic group), then it can be allocated 30% of the shelf space occupied by the therapeutic group.

Priority seat rule.

Products that generate the most profit and have the best sales figures should be on best places in the sales area and on sales equipment.

The best-selling and most profitable products should be given priority. It is necessary to analyze sales figures and select priority locations accordingly. Demand should be determined in in monetary terms, and not in the number of packages sold.

For example, a larger share on the shelf should be occupied by a drug costing 100 rubles, of which 1 package is sold per month, and not by a drug costing 5 rubles, of which 10 packages are sold per month.

For a pharmacy, the absence of a profitable product on the shelf is a loss of money. In accordance with this, the location of the product on the shelf should take into account the sales of drugs in the pharmacy.

Rules for placing price tags.

The average buyer will not buy a product if he has no idea about its price.

The price of the product must be clearly marked and clearly visible to the buyer; the price tag should not cover the packaging of the medicinal product or product.

Price tags should be positioned so that it is extremely clear to the buyer which price tag applies to which product.

The location of price tags should take into account the buyer's point of view.

All price tags in a pharmacy must be designed in the same style, it is allowed to change the background and some details to attract attention to certain drugs or products.

Merchandising is a system that creates an environment in a pharmacy that maximizes profits.

The setting includes the following elements:

Merchandising standards regulate the rules, control of compliance with the rules, technologies for making changes in the environment and evaluating the results of these changes.

Merchandising standards are aimed at maximizing the pharmacy's profits.

Merchandising Rules

1. Atmosphere

General idea– attract maximum attention to the pharmacy on the street, create a desire to enter, do not create obstacles on the way, cleanliness, order, comfort.

Rule 1.1

The sign is clearly visible from a distance of 100 m on both sides of the street. The sign is illuminated when the pharmacy is open; dynamic lighting elements are turned on. It is advisable to leave lightboxes, volumetric letters, cross included at night. The sign is in good condition. The entrance to the pharmacy is clearly marked.

Rule 1.2

The entrance area is clean and tidy. The entrance is illuminated. The entrance doors are transparent, there are no notices or advertising information on them.

Rule 1.3

Trade equipment is clean and in good working order. All lighting fixtures in the sales area and equipment are working. The hall is clean. There are no unpleasant odors. Promotional materials are placed neatly. There are no foreign objects on window sills, cabinets, or in the checkout area.

On the counters in the cash register area, goods are displayed only using special retail equipment (trays, stands, racks, baskets) or under glass. Products are not placed directly on cash register counters.

Rule 1.4

The staff uniform is made in the same style (fabric, color, style, trim), with embroidery in the shape of a butterfly.

Rule 1.5

There is sound in the sales area, it creates a comfortable feeling.

2. Arrangement of commercial equipment

Terms used:

Products of target demand– goods for which the buyer purposefully comes to the pharmacy. Their placement helps determine the movement of customers around the sales floor. These are all prescription medications, as well as over-the-counter ones (for example: cold relievers, pain relievers, antipyretics, anti-allergy medications).

Impulse products– goods that are purchased along the way; the purchasing decision is made on the sales floor. They are placed next to goods of target demand, in centers of attraction in the sales area, on the buyer’s path through the sales area. This includes almost all parapharmaceuticals, including hygiene products.

You can increase the size of your purchase by purchasing impulse goods. The longer the buyer’s journey through the hall, the more goods he will see and buy.

A buyer on the move looks more to the right. Therefore, he will see more goods if he moves counterclockwise.

In addition, you can increase the size of the purchase by zoning the sales area by customer segments.
In each pharmacy, it is possible to identify permanent 2-4 main segments of customers. Products that are characteristic of a group of buyers should be placed nearby, this increases the likelihood of a complex purchase.

3. Examples of customer segments and product categories

  • baby food
  • diapers
  • baby hygiene
  • children's cosmetics
  • children's dishes
  • toys
  • products for nursing mothers
  • goods for pregnant women

Vitamins, feminine hygiene products, inexpensive cosmetics, and weight loss products are placed next to products for Moms.

2. Pensioners.

  • medicinal herbs
  • external means
  • inexpensive dietary supplements
  • medical equipment
  • medical products
  • balms, syrups, elixirs (healthy lifestyle, folk remedies)
  • healthy, dietary, diabetic nutrition
  • inexpensive cosmetics

Markers – External means

Nearby are popular drugs.

Nearby are expensive dietary supplements for skin care, hair, nails, etc., expensive aromatherapy, and oral care.

General idea– lengthen the buyer’s path through the sales area, ensure free movement, clear orientation, organize zoning of the sales area by customer segments.

Rule 2.1

Merchandising loop

The buyer’s path to the prescription department and the cash register is organized as long as possible, directed counterclockwise.

Rule 2.2

The width of the passages is at least 0.9 m.

Rule 2.3

The trading floor can be viewed from any point. The inscriptions on the island slides are installed no higher than eye level; the display of goods on them does not interfere with the view of the hall. The prescription department is visible from the entrance and stands out clearly in the sales area.

Rule 2.4

All racks are equipped with rubricators. The rubricator on the rack and the displayed goods correspond exactly to each other. The names of product groups for the labels of racks, island cabinets, and shelves are taken from the “List of Groups” table. Depending on the area of ​​the sales floor, the appropriate level of detail is selected.

For a small area, the names of the racks are listed among the category groups. For a retail space with a large area, category names can be used.

This makes it easier to move goods and does not limit the search for optimal display. This is especially true for a small room.

Rule 2.5

Products for customer segments are placed in separate areas of the hall. Cosmetics of different price categories (elite and cheap) are not placed on adjacent racks and, especially, on adjacent shelves.

Display of goods

Terms used:

Best places– these are racks in the sales area or individual shelves that buyers always pay attention to. For example, a checkout area, an area near the prescription department, shelves opposite the entrance, an area to the right along the way, shelves at eye level and arm's length.

The best places on the sales floor are the hot zones.

In cold zones, goods are noticed only if they are specifically approached.

You can attract additional attention to the rack by placing a display of medicines nearby.
The best shelves are called gold. These include shelves at eye level and arm's length, as well as the top shelves on island slides.

A hot product is a product with high sales per week, in terms of amount, not quantity.
Medicines – almost always hot commodity, but these are targeted purchases; they will be made regardless of whether there is a display in the sales area or not.

It is important to place popular impulse goods in the best places.

General idea– the product is placed according to the principle “improve the best”, the display has an emphasis on medicines, all products are clearly visible, convenient to take from the shelf, easy to find and select.

Rule 3.1

In the best places, in hot zones, popular impulse goods are located. In cold zones, strictly targeted goods, goods with low demand, are laid out, and sales are also organized there.

Rule 3.2

The most popular goods are placed on the golden shelves. On the top shelves, above the gold ones, expensive, mid-market goods are laid out. On the shelves below the gold ones are cheap, hot commodity items. On the lowest shelves there are only large-sized goods that do not need to be looked at. There should be no empty spaces on the shelves.

Rule 3.3

The trading floor should be recognizable at a glance as a pharmacy, not a beauty salon. Therefore, emphasis is needed on drugs. Medicines on the sales floor are displayed in prominent places, as Business Cards pharmacies, as well as in cold areas to attract attention to neighboring shelves.

The back wall of the prescription department is decorated with bright, large packages famous brands over-the-counter drugs, market leaders. Large, bright packages are made available to the public. The buyer simply won’t understand the small ones.

Rule 3.4

Products in an open display are aligned along the front line of the shelf and laid out in one row in height. Packages cannot be stacked on top of each other. Exception - it is allowed to place vitamins in 2 rows if they are products of the same
names, but in different packaging, for example, Vitrum N 30 and Vitrum N 60. The product is placed in one row in depth so as not to overlap the information on the packaging. The product can be easily removed from the shelf without the adjacent packages falling off.

Rule 3.5

Products in closed display cases are placed so as not to obscure the information on the packaging.

Rule 3.6

Additional products in the free display area are displayed on the display window exactly behind the exhibition sample. Mixing of sub-products is not allowed. The order for displaying items is “first in, first out.”

Rule 3.7

Complementary to each other product categories located nearby, for example, toothbrushes and toothpastes.

Rule 3.8

Corporate blocks display branded expensive products from the categories Vitamins, Cosmetics, and, less often, Hygiene. This allows you to increase the purchase amount; the buyer considers the entire product line. Additional attention to the corporate block is attracted by the display in several facings - 2-5 identical items side by side. As a result, a large spot of color stands out brightly on the shelf. The remaining products are laid out according to the spectrum of action.

In-pharmacy information

According to statistics in retail, up to 50% of purchases are not made if the price is not indicated on the product.

A buyer on the sales floor is not able to remember several things at the same time; he thinks about the shopping list, holds a bag or wallet, a basket, perhaps a child in his hand. The buyer will forget the announcement of the competition when moving from one rack to another.

General idea– information is located near the place of its use, that is, next to the product or the place of payment; a price tag on the product is required.

Rule 4.1

The goods displayed on the shelves are accompanied by a price tag. The price tag (barcode) is affixed to the packaging in the upper right corner, so as not to obscure the name of the product, manufacturer, or expiration date. Price tags are designed and placed uniformly.

Rule 4.2

In the sales area there is information about marketing promotions currently taking place. If possible, information about the product is placed next to the product and is duplicated in the checkout area. Advertising information does not cover the information on the packaging.

Rule 4.3

The pharmacist informs the buyer about current and upcoming marketing promotions that may interest the buyer.

Layout optimization technology

The market is not static; the structure of buyers, as well as consumer preferences, are gradually changing. In addition, seasonality factors apply; new products regularly appear in the pharmacy’s assortment. Consequently, the optimal layout changes and cannot remain static.

Sales accounting from racks is used as a tool for searching for optimal display. Relevant software should be in every pharmacy.

In each pharmacy, the linking of goods to shelves is organized and maintained in an up-to-date condition - that is, each product on the sales floor is correlated with the place on the shelf where it is placed, the place is indicated in the pharmacy program.

Analysis of the pharmacy display report is carried out at least once a month.
Based on the results of the analysis, changes are made to the layout.

Pharmacy merchandising is a set of measures for placing goods and advertising materials on the shelves and displays of a pharmacy in order to sell the goods as quickly as possible. If we think more globally, this concept includes not only the display of goods in the pharmacy, but also the planning of the sales floor when the pharmacy opens, when it is necessary to determine where the pharmacy displays will be located, how customers should move around the sales area, etc. Kugach V.V. Merchandising in a pharmacy as an integral part of pharmaceutical care / V.V. Kugach // Recipe. - 2010. - No. 4. - P. 26-32.

The main goals of merchandising in a pharmacy are:

The first goal of merchandising is to increase the convenience of purchasing (increasing customer loyalty).

The main goal of merchandising is to facilitate the search for the product the client needs in the pharmacy, to make the purchasing process convenient and even enjoyable for the buyer. It should also be remembered that the pharmacy does not sell medicines as such, but a complex of medicines + trading services - in other words, “service”. If the purchasing process meets the needs of consumers, then the buyer gradually develops loyalty to this particular pharmacy. And next time he will go to your pharmacy.

The second goal of merchandising is to increase the completeness of the assortment display.

This goal is due to the fact that the consumer rarely pays attention to all the products presented in the pharmacy. Increasing the number of products not just displayed on the sales floor, but attracting the buyer’s attention, can significantly increase sales.

The third purpose of merchandising is to attract attention to individual products.

An important goal of merchandising is not only a general, but also a selective (selective) increase in the sale of certain products in the pharmacy range. Most often the pharmacy has to achieve:

  • - increasing the turnover of a promoted product or group of products of a certain brand (for example, during a manufacturer’s advertising campaign);
  • - increase in sales of “quietly liquid” goods;
  • - promotion of new drugs or products to the market.

The fourth goal of merchandising is to increase the buyer’s time in the pharmacy.

Each commercial enterprise is interested in extending the time voluntarily spent in it by the buyer. With every additional minute, the likelihood of a buyer making a purchase increases Kugach V.V. Merchandising in a pharmacy as an integral part of pharmaceutical care / V.V. Kugach // Recipe. - 2010. - No. 4. - P. 26-32..

Merchandising is based on research into the psychological characteristics of customer behavior in places where goods are sold. As a result of such studies, factors were identified that can influence a client’s purchasing decision. These factors may include the format of the pharmacy, the planning of areas, the placement of advertising materials in the pharmacy, and the design of pharmacy windows, i.e. how exactly the drug packages are displayed on the shelves in the pharmacy, etc.

Merchandising can stimulate unplanned purchases, as well as influence the buyer’s choice in favor of more expensive drugs (for partially planned purchases). This, by the way, makes it easier for the first capital managers to increase the average check through the use of sales skills. But merchandising (in terms of the power of influence on the buyer’s decision to make a purchase) will, of course, never be able to compare with the influence that a pervostolnik can have, using sales skills in a pharmacy, thereby stimulating the purchase of expensive drugs, related purchases, etc. Slavich-Pristupa A. WITH. Advertising and merchandising in pharmacies / A.S. Slavich-Pristupa. - St. Petersburg: Littera, 2006. - 88 p. .

Therefore, a pharmacy organization must have a clear policy regarding pharmacy merchandising. Those. we need to clearly understand what needs to be done and what we will get as a result of these actions. And for this it is necessary that the pharmacy manager, as well as ordinary employees, be trained in pharmacy merchandising skills, i.e. knew the rules for displaying goods in a pharmacy.

Pharmacy merchandising has two features in presenting products in a pharmacy:

  • 1. The presence in the field of sales of medicines and dietary supplements of a number of requirements of regulatory documentation for storage, display and sale, which the merchandiser must adhere to in his practice;
  • 2. The buyer lacks accurate information about why this or that medicine is better than another, which does not give him the right to choose.

To date current legislature clearly states the possibility or impossibility of displaying a particular product item in the pharmacy assortment. According to regulatory documentation, namely, industry standard OST 91500.05.0007-2003 “Rules for the dispensing (sale) of medicines in pharmacy organizations. Basic provisions", approved by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 80 dated March 4, 2003, the entire pharmacy range can be divided into:

  • 1. Assortment available with a doctor's prescription;
  • 2. Assortment available without a doctor's prescription.

This document clearly states “6.1. The dispensing (sale) of medicinal products is carried out with a prescription and without a doctor’s prescription...”. It is also clearly stated that “…6.11. Display cases can be used for information about medicines and other products approved for dispensing from pharmacies various types, where medicines sold without a doctor’s prescription and samples of available goods are displayed...” The list of over-the-counter medicines is regulated by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 578 of September 13, 2005 “On approval of the list of medicines sold without a doctor’s prescription.”

As for the display of prescription drugs, Order No. 80 of 2003 does not contain a clear order prohibiting the display of this group of goods, although it is implied.

When laying out medicines and other pharmaceutical products, storage of the latter becomes necessary. As you know, on the sales floor, on display windows, it is often not dummies that are displayed, but the medicines themselves, as well as other pharmaceutical products. Thus, display cases also become storage equipment to some extent. The main documents for the storage of medicines are the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 377 dated November 13, 1996 “On approval of instructions for organizing storage in pharmacies various groups of medicines and medical products" and the industry standard OST 91500.05.0007-2003 "Rules for the dispensing (sale) of medicines in pharmacies. Basic provisions", approved by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 80 dated March 4, 2003. According to these documents, the entire range of medicines and goods sold in pharmacies can be roughly divided into:

  • 1. Assortment that does not require special conditions storage;
  • 2. Assortment that requires special storage conditions.

But on the other hand, display cases cannot ensure compliance with all storage requirements, namely, protection from light, elevated temperatures, exposure to moisture and other aggressive factors prescribed in the current regulatory documentation. It follows from this that only those assortments that do not require special conditions can be displayed on display windows.

For the most part, the assortment that requires special storage conditions includes:

  • ? Medicines and dietary supplements that require storage in a place protected from light;
  • ? Medicines and dietary supplements that require storage at low temperatures;
  • ? Medicinal plant raw materials;
  • ? Rubber products;
  • ? Dressing material and auxiliaries.

These product range groups cannot be displayed on the display window, because showcases will not be able to provide either protection from light or from low temperatures. As for rubber products, in addition to all other requirements, the requirement of storage at a relative humidity of at least 65% is added; some of them must be kept hanging. Speaking of dressings, the regulatory documentation does not stipulate that they should be stored in a place protected from light, but it is stated that the racks should be painted on the inside with light oil paint.

There are two ways out of this situation: the first is to put everything away in the cabinets. But then the meaning of the shop windows is lost, because... The assortment that does not require special storage conditions is quite small. Another way out of this situation is to display dummies instead of medications and dietary supplements, i.e. empty secondary packaging. Those companies that care about the promotion and sales of their products willingly provide dummies for pharmacy organizations. Or you can do without representatives. Regulatory documentation does not prohibit the storage of a medicinal product or dietary supplement in accordance with the storage specifications without secondary packaging. These secondary packaging can also be used as dummies.

Display cases are also considered storage equipment and have the same placement requirements as shelving and cabinets. According to clause 2.8. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 377 of November 13, 1996 and paragraph 3.20. industry standard OST 91500.05.0007-2003, approved by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 80 dated March 4, 2003, the entire pharmacy assortment must be stored:

  • ? at a distance from external walls of at least 0.6-0.7 m;
  • ? at a distance from the ceiling of at least 0.5 m;
  • ? at a distance from the floor of at least 0.25 m.

Accordingly, storefronts must be designed and placed in accordance with these conditions.