Can An Independent Community Pharmacy Learn From A Pet Store?

Mud Bay Pet Supplies in Portland, Oregon is part of an employee owned chain with 39 locations in the Northwest.  And, what I experienced in the 3000 square foot store I visited blew me away. 

So, you ask, what does a pet store have to do with pharmacy? 

Consider this… the store does not have fancy fixtures, good parking or an upscale location - but it does have personality!

The concrete floors are clean and polished.  The warehouse type fixtures are stocked with merchandise that is artfully displayed.  And, the floor plan encourages customers to explore.  In short, Mud Bay is clean, bright, well-lite and attractively displayed.  Something any pharmacy would do well to emulate.

One interesting feature is the pet weigh station.  It invites pet owners to monitor their furry friends’ weight.  And, they just happen to stock a variety of pet foods geared to over or under weight animals. It is a great conversation starter and generates a lot of word of mouth recommendations.   

The store is about 4 blocks from my daughters’ home and when you take their dog for a walk and get near the store he pulls on his leash and “begs” to be taken to Mud Bay.  The reason, the staff carry treats.  After getting permission the clerk will give your pet a treat – or better yet, hand the treat to the owner who gets to perform the task.  All designed to enhance the experience.

From my conversation with the clerk it was apparent I was a first-time visitor. As I was leaving the store the clerk handed me a Thank You card.  In the envelope was a brochure that explained key benefits of Mud Bay, a gift certificate for $5.00 off any purchase and a hand written thank you note signed by the clerk.

Mud Bay competes with PetSmart, Walmart, every grocery store in town, and Chewy, the online pet super-store.  Yet, they succeed because they get to know you (and your pet), they carry products pet owners need at competitive prices.  And, they also stock interesting new products pet owners don’t yet know they need or want.  In short, going to Mud Bay with your pet is an adventure.  

So, here’s the takeaway for community pharmacies;

Look for ways to improve the look and feel of your pharmacy, inside and out.  Stock interesting new products that are consistent with the image of your pharmacy and display them in attractive ways.  Find new, more and better ways to interact with your patients; healthcare events, classes and sales representative sponsored “demo” days are things I have seen work. 

Make sure new customers are treated exceptionally well.  Incorporate new services that genuinely help patients, medication synchronization seems to work for many pharmacy owners. Anytime you fill a first-time prescription make sure your staff alerts you so you can come over and say hello.  Then, mail them a thank you note along with a brochure explaining the important feature of your pharmacy.  Perhaps you can even include a specially designed customer referral card they can use to refer someone they know to your pharmacy. 

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