The world is changing at
an ever faster pace and there is no reason why
pharmacies should not change as well.
It
is not my purpose to explain these global economic
process and analyse the underlying causes, but speak out
as a consumer and simple citizen that observes
change as it happens and keeps well informed.
My
neighbourhood is changing, my street and the shops all
around. New supermarkets and chain stores are taking
over in the high street and all the smaller independent and
family-run shops are disappearing. All except the 2 shop
windows and 50 sq. m. retail area that is my local pharmacy. Even
though it has changed over the years, reducing the
size of the stock room to make space for more
products, it still has that old-school feel about it,
especially in the way they handle customers. The
prescription area and counter are almost completely filled with display
stands, making it feel a little like some Middle Eastern
bazaar. All that space which should be dedicated to
offering customers services has been literally
swallowed up. It is badly lit and the colours are faded,
making you feel slightly uneasy when you enter and very
relieved when you leave, usually 30 seconds after having
picked up your purchase from the sales counter. It is
only a matter of time before this shop falls
victim to the next chain pharmacy or supermarket with a
chemist which moves in next door.
Its a great shame
because small independent shops like this one have a
great opportunity to grow and guarantee their future -
all they have to do is change. We are going through a very
interesting economic phase in which new alternatives are
being put forward to combat what seemed like the
unstoppable growth of supermarket and chain pharmacies only a few years ago. For
example, slow food has now become a popular and winning
alternative to fast food, and slow marketing is in
vogue. Rather then get the customer through the shop as
fast as possible and make them buy, retail experts
recommend trying to keep customers in your shop for
as long as possible, entertaining them and helping
them to relax or even have fun. The pharmacy in my
neighbourhood has done nothing to get up to speed and
offer customers an "experience". Rather is has
stuck to ancient retail tactics that are now obsolete,
such as long and boring wall shelving where all
the products are lined up on the shelf like in a supermarket.
We have a
different vision of the pharmacy according to which
each pharmacy should be unique, instantly recognisable
and transmit the image of the pharmacist as a professional.
The choice of interior decor can also be leveraged to
communicate the pharmacist's professionalism and
create an ambience that is very different from chain and
supermarket drugs stores and pharmacies.
If
used properly, interior design is an economic tool
which will make your business plan a success and help
increase sales. Innovative pharmacy store design is a
cultural phenomenon which aims to stimulate emotions,
entertain and offer personalised solutions to customers'
individual problems. It is able to win in business terms
as it treats the consumer as an individual, not
as a number, responding to changing social trends,
tastes and habits. Above all, effective pharmacy
interior design in fully contextualised within the
history and culture of the pharmacy's location,
transmitting a series of visual messages that give real
substance to the pharmacy and justify its existence.
For
a pharmacist to be a true pharmacist, he or she has to
be able to integrate and coordinate the various displays
and sectors in order to give form to their role as a
health professional, ready to advise and specialised
every area of health care and well-being. Only in
this way can the pharmacist remain the consumer's most
important ally in all things concerning health care. As Gail Sheehy
once siad “If we don't change, we won't grow, is
we don't grow, we are not really living”.
Guido Sartoretto Verna
Comment on this article or read other comments
