Winter Remedies: Retailer viewpoints
Sandy Sandhu, Nisa local, East Sussex
“We sell lots of these type of products. Obviously we’re not qualified to give advice, so we always direct customers to check packaging for instructions but sometimes I do suggest things like honey, lemon and ginger, which also increases our sales there, too. I always stock up for the winter and in summer, these shelves get filled with hayfever tablets and those sort of things.”
Abdul Arian, Al Amin Stores, Cambridge
“It goes without saying that over-the-counter medicines are a growing market. Cough and cold remedies are popular all year round, but particularly in the winter months. I display them prominently behind the counter and get a mixture of customers coming in and asking specifically for them and customers who pick up some Lemsip while buying other things.”
Fanjay Shah, Mayhew News, London
“There is a pharmacy very near to our store, so we only have a small range of these products but the things we do stock sell very well. We focus on brands, such as Lempsip, Nurofen and Nuromol with just a few generic products. We’re open quite early in the morning so we get a lot of workmen coming in to pick these items up on their way to work, particularly in the winter. Things like throat sweets and Fisherman’s Friend tend to sell well all year round, though.”
Top tips for growing your sales:
- Capitalise on ads: Stock brands with prominent advertising campaigns running in the winter months.
- Provide advice: Suggest retailers tempt those who don’t usually treat colds with prominent displays near the till.
- Use dummy packs: These alert customers to products behind the counter.
- Provide a checklist: List all the products needed to fight a cold, such as honey, lemon, medicated sweets, painkillers, drinks, lip-balm and tissues.
