It’s a simple fact, people no longer think of their pet as just domesticated animals, but more of a member of the family. Because of this transition, sales of U.S. pet products and services are continuing to grow. In 2014, sales for pet products and services reached $73 billion dollars and according to experts these sales will only continue to grow.

Why is this information important to you? Because pets are just another way for you to expand the sales to your existing customers as well as attract more customers to your pharmacy! By filling prescriptions for animals, you open your pharmacy up to be a one-stop-shop, people are able to pick up their whole families medication all in one spot.

Understanding seasonal allergies is fundamental to effective allergy management. The more you understand the what, why, when, and where associated with seasonal allergies, the better you can counsel and educate parents and children about ways to help reduce allergy symptoms. The ALLERGY acrostic below is designed to highlight the important things you should know and remember about allergies, as you counsel and support your young customers and their families.

Whether you are an independent or a chain pharmacy, online reviews can be influential on your business. More importantly, online reviews are very influential on the massive millennial generation. According to a study conducted by Bazaar Voice “84% of Millennials report that user-generated content (online reviews) has at least some influence on what they buy.” Because Millennials are more likely to trust user-generated content more than media or even an expert review, getting positive reviews online for your business is a must.

In retail, we spend a lot of time talking about customer segments, asking questions like: Who is spending more money? Who is visiting our stores more often? Who is visiting our competitors? One specific segment that is gaining more and more attention is the Hispanic customer segment.

If you are anything like me, you do your fair share of keeping up with news and trends, so you’ve heard the word Hispanic used quite often. But who exactly falls in this segment, why is the Hispanic segment so important, and how to we get them to shop with us? Let’s review…

Seems like everyone in pharmacy retail is on a mission to provide their customers with the best shopping experience possible. As it should be. You don’t earn loyalty these days simply by satisfying your customers. Taking it to the next level with one-to-one engagement, surprise, delight, and a unique experience are where today’s shoppers are won (and lost). With innovative products, unique store layouts, expansive in-stock selection, personalized deals, in-store clinics, etc., retail pharmacy is clearly taking the customer experience seriously.

What we don’t often hear about though is the employee experience and just how important that can be to the long-term viability of your customer focused strategy. The best laid plans to surprise and delight customers will be quickly laid to waste by unmotivated, disengaged, and possibly even, vindictive staff. Equally, people who love their job and the company they work for can’t help but show it. These folks can cover up more than a few blemishes as you perfect other aspects of your customer experience strategy.