Creating A Health And Medical Section Of Your Conveience Store
Convenience stores aren't just about selling snacks and drinks. When cold and flu season rolls around, having health and medical supplies can help you provide the merchandise your customers want. Additionally, carrying these items in your inventory year-round can make your store the preferred shopping destination for a host of customers needs. Here are a few strategies for setting up a health and medical section and maintaining the right inventory for your area.
Convenient Location
The first thing you want to do when stocking your shelves with a new health and medical section is to make the items clearly visible and convenient for customers to access. Consider setting up an end cap for this purpose during your initial launch. You can work the items into the shelves close to the door as time goes on, keeping items still visible but using your end cap for seasonal and promotional items. You may also want to free up some space near the registers for single-dose and trial size items customers can grab as impulse purchases.
Inventory Selection
The inventory you select may depend on the demographics in your area, but the items you carry should also reflect current needs. During cold and flu season, pain and fever reducers, cough drops, and cough syrups are ideal options. Antihistamines are smart additions to your inventory during allergy season. Some items, such as bandages and first aid supplies, should be carried year-round. At the register, rolls of antacids, single-dose packs of pain relievers, and rolls of cough drops can be great for impulse buys. If there are many families with children in the area, consider carrying children's pain medication as well.
Cross-Merchandising Opportunities
Of course, there are many ways you can cross-merchandise items already in your inventory with your health and medical supplies. During cold and flu season, stock an end cap with fever reducers, cans of soup, and electrolyte beverages. In the summer, you can merchandise bug bite ointment, sunscreen, and medicated creams to combat minor injuries and illnesses associated with outdoor activities. Get creative with these ideas, and don't forget to use signage to indicate sales or to simply call out the theme of the end caps you are stocking.
Keep an eye on sales for your health and medical items so you can adjust inventory levels and order stock to replenish shelves. By monitoring your convenience store inventory levels and listening to customer feedback, you can provide the goods your customer base needs most.
Contact a company like Instant Inventory Service for more information and assistance.
Share