Despite the last-minute clientele, pharmacies must still be one of the first out of the starting block in terms of stocking and promoting merchandise. With such heavy competition from department stores and warehouse clubs, drugstores need to quickly position themselves as a viable, and reliable, option. We do the initial setup in mid-October. As well, don't wait for shoppers to walk through your door before they realize you stock Christmas wares. When you're approaching the store from 50 or 60 yards away you can see them.
Window displays can help enormously.
Indeed, window displays have made Paisley Drugs in Paisley, Ont., a tourist attraction. Owner-pharmacist Mary Ellen Budreau's husband, an engineer, designs the displays with his own animated characters. A lot of people come from different towns to see it. Suppliers can help, with stand-alone units that can fit in as little as two square feet. For Christmas cards, for instance, countertop display spinners can entertain customers awaiting a prescription.