GSK has used its “state-of-the-art” research facility to investigate the best way for pharmacies to lay out their products.

The manufacturer conducted 30 interviews and six focus groups at its Shopper Science Lab in Brentford, before it concluded that the positioning of product categories down a pharmacy’s aisle should “flow from wellbeing to treatment”.

It was also important to ensure customers could navigate between sub-categories of products easily, and were able to find more information about the products if they were not confident shoppers, GSK said last week (March 24). “Driving shoppers to the pharmacy counter for advice for pharmacy-only lines is essential,” it added.

The “wellness” aisles of pharmacies were “overloaded” with products, said Paul Griffith, senior manager of global shopper insights at GSK. “A multitude of very small packs makes the shelf feel cluttered, leading to confusion and shoppers unable to pinpoint the correct product for their needs.”

The manufacturer used “eye-tracking technology” at the research lab to analyse how customers searched for products and concluded that pharmacy aisles should be laid out based on the three key areas of “flow of the aisle, navigation and education”.

These key principles would “increase engagement” and “maintain discretion in certain categories that are particularly embarrassing for shoppers”, GSK said.

It was “paramount” for pharmacies to make the shopping experience “as simple as possible”, the manufacturer added.

Contact GSK on 0800 783 8881