In the competitive pharmaceutical market, improving over-the-counter (OTC) sales is crucial for pharmacies aiming to boost profitability and ensure customer satisfaction. In this article, we’ll explore eight effective strategies employed by our pharmacy retail clients to increase OTC sales.
8 Pharmacy Tips to Increase OTC Sales
Pharmacies can implement eight practical strategies to boost their OTC sales. These proven techniques focus on enhancing customer experience, leveraging customer data, and effectively promoting OTC products. Let’s delve into how you can apply these strategies in your pharmacy and witness a noticeable increase in your OTC sales.
1. Focus on Customer Retention with Loyalty Programs
To drive OTC sales, establishing a robust pharmacy loyalty program is essential. Studies show that loyal customers tend to spend more per visit, and pharmacies with well-structured reward systems like “pharmacy points” and “pharmacy rewards” create a strong incentive for repeat purchases. Pharmacies can introduce loyalty cards or point-based systems, where customers earn rewards on OTC purchases, encouraging them to return.
Our client, Alphega Pharmacy in Romania, has implemented a loyalty program and is measuring its effectiveness through our CX platform. Alphega collects customer feedback via SMS to track loyalty metrics such as the Net Promoter Score (NPS) after every transaction. They discovered that NPS promoters (highly satisfied, loyal customers) spent 7% more per visit. Their focus on customer retention increased customer loyalty and positively impacted OTC sales.
2. Enhance Customer Experience through Personalised Service
The role of pharmacists extends beyond dispensing medications—they are key players in enhancing the overall customer experience. A friendly pharmacist and customer interaction can build trust, making customers feel valued and inclined to purchase OTC products. Training staff in customer service excellence and product knowledge empowers them to recommend products confidently and provide customers with a tailored experience.
Using an AI-driven pharmacy customer experience solution, pharmacies can monitor and assess pharmacist interactions, identifying opportunities to enhance service quality and upsell opportunities.
For example, Dr.Max pharmacies use our CX platform to switch from traditional mystery shopping to real-time customer feedback after each transaction. This change helped them achieve a 25% incremental revenue increase through improved pharmacist engagement and proactive cross-selling.
3. Boost Visibility and Accessibility of OTC Products
Effective merchandising is essential for capturing customer attention and driving impulse purchases. Organise OTC products by category, with popular items like pain relievers, vitamins, and cold medicines placed in high-traffic areas. Create themed displays for seasonal products to address timely health needs (e.g., allergy season or flu prevention), maximising visibility.
Digital screens or interactive kiosks can also be used to display product promotions, loyalty program benefits, and pharmacy tips on common ailments. This approach not only informs customers but also encourages them to explore various OTC products that they may not have initially intended to purchase.
4. Implement Feedback-Driven Improvements
Collecting customer feedback provides insights into purchasing habits, preferences, and areas for improvement in the OTC section. Pharmacies can use this data to refine their product offerings and enhance the shopping experience. Staffino’s CX solution for pharmacies can be instrumental in gathering real-time feedback, which is then analysed through AI to identify trends and assess customer satisfaction.
For instance, Dr.Max pharmacy chain used Staffino’s AI feedback tool to automate customer feedback analysis. This data-driven approach helped Dr.Max not only save on operational costs but also boost the average basket size by 14% through personalised and responsive service.
5. Promote a Customer-Centric Approach with Staff Training
Customer experience doesn’t end at the product selection—it extends to the entire patient journey within the pharmacy. Investing in staff training to enhance customer service skills will increase customer satisfaction, encouraging repeat visits and higher sales. Pharmacists should be trained to approach customers proactively, answer questions, and offer suitable OTC product recommendations based on customer needs.
With Staffino, pharmacies can utilise employee gamification to motivate pharmacists and track performance. By integrating rewards, personalised challenges, and leaderboards, pharmacies can engage employees in customer-centric activities, which ultimately improve service quality and, in turn, OTC sales.
6. Utilise Customer Data to Personalise Promotions
Nowadays, pharmacies have access to an array of customer data that can be used to personalise the shopping experience.
“By analysing purchase history, pharmacies can offer targeted promotions on commonly purchased products or send reminders to replenish items like vitamins or supplements.”
Ján Gabauer
Expert CX Consultant, Staffino
Staffino’s predictive analytics feature supports this by tracking customer satisfaction trends and segmenting feedback, making it easier for pharmacies to develop targeted marketing campaigns and optimise their promotional efforts based on data-driven insights.
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7. Use Digital Engagement and Omni-Channel Strategies
Integrating online and in-store experiences provides customers with flexible shopping options, whether they prefer buying OTC products online or visiting the physical pharmacy. Pharmacies can offer “click-and-collect” options for OTC products or set up online platforms where customers can order products and earn loyalty points.
With Staffino’s real-time CX analytics dashboard, pharmacies can track customer preferences across different channels, enabling them to adapt and enhance their omnichannel strategy. This setup ensures a seamless experience that keeps customers engaged, regardless of how they choose to shop.
8. Create a Seamless Customer Journey with Efficient Service
Reducing wait times and ensuring smooth service at checkout are essential to a positive customer experience. Implementing efficient queue management systems, express checkouts for OTC products, and even self-service kiosks can improve the overall customer journey, making it more likely that customers will return.
Dr.Max’s case with Staffino showcases the impact of focusing on service efficiency and the pharma customer journey. By automating feedback collection, Dr.Max pharmacies not only improved the checkout process but also significantly reduced wait times in their pharmacies during peak hours, leading to a higher chance of cross-selling and upselling as well as improved overall satisfaction.
Increase OTC Sales in Your Pharmacy with Staffino
Increasing OTC sales is about more than just product placement or discount strategies—it’s about creating a pharmacy environment that prioritises customer satisfaction at every touchpoint. Pharmacies can effectively improve OTC sales by fostering loyalty through reward programs, delivering exceptional service, and continually adapting based on customer feedback.
With its AI-driven customer experience platform, Staffino enables pharmacies to collect customer feedback in real time, segment satisfaction trends, and make data-backed improvements that enhance customer loyalty and drive sales. Pharmacies like Dr.Max and Alphega have demonstrated how using Staffino’s solutions can lead to increased revenue, improved pharmacist-customer interactions, and higher basket sizes.
From feedback automation to predictive analytics, Staffino offers the tools needed to transform customer experience and strengthen the patient journey in today’s competitive market. By implementing the above strategies and implementing platforms like Staffino to enhance customer interactions, your pharmacy can optimise OTC sales and build long-term customer loyalty.
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