eBusiness Weekly
Ok Zimbabwe has introduced pharmacies in some of its outlets in a move that commercial director Albert Katsande said is just a way of providing the retail giant’s customers with additional services for their convenience.
Katsande, who said having pharmacies in supermarkets is an international trend, said as an organisation they are looking at providing customers with additional services for their convenience.
“We are looking at a one stop shop facility; this is an international trend where you have pharmacies housed in supermarkets to provide customers with a one stop shop.
Katsande said the pharmacies, which are located at OK Mart in Hillside, Kwekwe, Masvingo and at the three-weeks old Glen View outlet, are run through franchises.
“We actually don’t run the pharmacies ourselves, we own the franchise brand which we use there but we get a third party to run the pharmacies as we are not pharmacists, we are not specialists. We have a lease arrangement which is a win-win lease arrangement.
“So we allow people who have pharmaceutical interests, who actually know about the business to run the pharmacies.”
Katsande said the pharmacies are just additional facilities for customers “that we are providing where we think there is a need and a market for that kind of services. And we have seen that customers are appreciating the service as they are now doing everything in one place.”
While OK Zimbabwe might not have gone all out to roll out pharmacies, the incorporation of pharmacies in grocery outlets is a global trend that has seen retail giants Amazon such as Amazon and Albertson buy into the sector.
American grocery company Albertsons’ recently acquired drugstore chain Rite Aid in a move that is seen as an example of how highly grocers value the health benefits and increased sales pharmacy can provide.
In South Africa, Pick n Pay has its in-store pharmacy PnP Dispensary at 31 stores in South Africa — while Shoprite and Checkers has over 140 MediRite Pharmacies in stores across the country. Spar also has an in-store Pharmacy at Spar brand in select locations.
Research by the Food Marketing Institute found that pharmacy sales account for around 3 percent of grocery store sales, or about 6 percent to 9 percent of store revenues for chains with a heavier pharmacy presence.
The existents of pharmacies in grocery outlets can also boost customer loyalty and attract valuable customers into stores. There are very high chances that every new prescription filled translates to additional sales across other departments or vice versa.
Like Katsande said, supermarkets have longer operating hours that extend into Sundays, something that some standalone pharmacies cannot provide.
Given the growing connection between food and medicine, the in store pharmacy has the potential to become a natural extension of a grocer’s core mission — and not just an outpost for filling prescriptions.
But the question is, will the average Zimbabwean soon be going to the supermarket to pick up some cough syrup while they’re there?
