Market Research Team

PDS field tests confirm that when given the choice, pharmacy customers do prefer and will support their local pharmacy business owners. Clearly, the local business must match the chain store shopping experience for the customer. This confirmation plays to the strengths of the local, small business owner. As much as the national chains aspire to giving excellent service, their business model does not align with great personal customer service.

We know this provides the locally owned independent pharmacy owner an almost unfair competitive advantage. Our research also revealed that this advantage can only be exercised by implementing a consistent campaign to educate customers about shopping local vs. shopping with a chain. To this end, the PDS marketing team has developed and tested a package of tools and ideas to expedite your customer education project inexpensively and quickly.

These simple and unique educational tools include signage, stickers, and badges. Each tool is designed to inform ... and to thank your customers for shopping and supporting you -- their local independent pharmacy. Please keep in mind that to truly exploit this unfair advantage, your customer must receive a much higher level of customer service as compared with their chain store experience. Your customers must be able to relate 'shop local' with a significantly better shopping experience on top of great customer service.