In the current era of online shopping, where the entire transaction is faceless, there are several reasons why people still prefer going to their neighbourhood stores. While doorstep delivery definitely offers a convenience, there’s no denying that ambling down to the shop around the corner and chatting with the shopkeeper is part of the social fabric of our life.
When it comes to medical shops, we often see the vendor actually knowing a family’s specific requirements and catering accordingly. That perhaps explains why the online purchase of medicines, which became so popular during the lockdown months, did not actually lead to the offline stores shutting down. They are doing good business, despite the online competition. In fact, surveys indicate that in India over 90 per cent of medicine purchase continues to be offline.
The human factor
In a country like India, pharmacists don’t just sell medicines; they perform many other roles too. They help patients understand the doctor’s complicated prescriptions. They guide them on how and when the medication should be taken, and even discuss user feedback and side effects. Given the high consultation costs, many customers tend to opt for over-the-counter medications for various minor ailments, and here, the qualified pharmacist again, is of invaluable help.
Online sites offer many options, and this itself becomes a bit of a problem for customers, when they cannot decide which product to purchase. Often, what they order online and what they get are vastly different, mainly because they had wrong perceptions of the product being advertised.
When it comes to medicines, such an array of choice gets even more flummoxing, because there is the doubt — is this product genuine, is this actually what I need? A good pharmacist is able to help customers navigate through the ever-changing range in products. Do I really need a blood pressure machine with multiple features, or is a basic one good enough for home use? It’s reassuring when the pharmacist – with whom a trust has developed over a period of time – gives sage advice.
Changing with the times
The traditional brick and mortar model of pharmacy, though, needs to adapt to the rapidly changing market scenario. There are certain trends in customer behaviour which are emerging, and pharmacists need to be aware of them.
Customers who purchase medication for chronic conditions, for instance, usually look for discounts. They are typically on the lookout for loyalty points and special offers. A person who is dealing with an acute health condition, on the other hand, is looking for instant relief. Such customers would rather have the medicine reach their doorstep at the earliest. For them, discounts are not that relevant, speed is.
Online pharmacies these days provide a slew of attractive schemes to lure customers away from their neighbourhood pharmacy. Modern-day neighbourhood pharmacies need to, therefore, develop the flexibility of providing online services as the needs arise. Stores that do not provide an online interface will tend to lose their long-standing customer base over time.
The best of both worlds
There are standalone chemist shops and there are pharmacy chains. While the pharmacy chains usually do have a composite online platform, many standalone shops, too, now see the advantage of getting aboard an aggregator platform. For starters, it helps them create stronger relationships with the clientele.
An online presence gives these stores greater visibility beyond their immediate geographic area and helps to draw in new customers. Such platforms not only help the medical stores to create a digital catalogue of medicines and maintain stock availability, but also help ensure that they don’t lose out to inventory-based e-pharmacy models.
What’s more, an online presence can also help the neighbourhood pharmacy to connect with other healthcare platforms, such as insurance companies and businesses providing online medical consultation. The online and offline business models need to be complementary in order to provide the best customer patient experience.
The future of medical retail in India will continue to be hybrid – a smart blend of the online and in-person customer experience. And the good ol’ medical stores which are able to adapt quickly to the emerging trends in digitisation will certainly flourish.
Source: EconomicTimes