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Pharmacy Shelf Placement

The space behind the counter decides OTC sales. We measure six times a year what is actually on display there.

The visible range behind the pharmacy counter is the most exposed shelf space in the store, and the most contested. Every pack on display replaces another one. For OTC manufacturers this is where it is decided whether a brand enters the consultation at all. Bormann & Gordon has been surveying this situation since 2008 with a fixed panel, making it comparable across brands, regions and pharmacy associations.

1,000
pharmacies in the fixed panel
6×
surveys per year
2008
active in the pharmacy market

Fundamentals

Three zones, three sets of rules

Any discussion about placement in a German pharmacy refers to one of three clearly separated zones. The allocation follows pharmaceutical law rather than interior design.

  • Visible range

    Behind the counter, visible to the customer and within reach of the team. This is where pharmacy-only medicines without prescription requirement are displayed, the classic OTC range. They are handed over as part of the consultation.

  • Open range

    In the open sales area, freely accessible. It holds general sales medicines and other pharmacy goods that customers may pick up themselves.

  • Temporary secondary placement

    Displays, both counter units on the dispensing counter and floor displays, as an additional touch point. Insights into execution rates show OTC manufacturers whether an activity can also generate a sales effect.

The reason for the separation lies in pharmaceutical law: pharmacy-only medicines stay out of self-service. This is precisely what makes the visible range a distinct, consultation-bound selling space.

Placement

Four variables determine the effect

Visibility alone is rarely enough. Whether a placement performs results from the interplay of these four variables, which we record separately in every survey.

  1. 01

    Placement width (facings)

    Visibility comes from a relevant placement width (number of facings side by side). Placement width should always be seen in the context of the category placement. Width also means displacing competitors.

  2. 02

    Block formation

    Whether the brand stands together or is spread across the shelf. A coherent block reads as one statement, scattered packs read as coincidence.

  3. 03

    Placement quality

    In which shelf zone (top, middle, bottom) is my brand placed? Besides general visibility through placement width (facings side by side), the position on the shelf is also decisive for brand success.

  4. 04

    Surroundings

    The neighbourhood on the shelf. Ordering by indication or by brand changes which pack the customer perceives as an alternative.

Seasons

Six surveys, because the shelf turns six times

The visible range follows the indication calendar. A single snapshot therefore describes one moment, while competition for the space runs all year, including the start and end of each season.

  1. February

    Cold and flu

    Coughs, colds and sore throats take up the widest blocks of the year.

  2. April

    Allergy

    Antihistamines, eye drops and nasal sprays push out the winter ranges.

  3. June

    Sun and travel

    Sun protection, insect repellents and travel kits dominate the front shelves.

  4. August

    End of the summer season

    Summer ranges are sold off and the space is redistributed for autumn.

  5. October

    Immune system

    Vitamins and preventive products move forward ahead of the cold season.

  6. December

    Start of the winter season

    Cold remedies gain space, joined by gift and care sets for the Christmas business.

Special topics

Beyond the standard KPIs, the image information allows us to answer additional specific questions, for example:

  • Placement environment: where is my brand placed, and in which category mostly?
  • Your own brand placement relative to an anchor brand
  • Facing placement: vertical or horizontal
  • Use of specific shelf highlighters

Price marking

Price marking obligations include the visible range. Prices belong with the goods, clearly legible and unambiguously assigned, regardless of whether the customer can reach the pack. Alongside placement and facings, our surveys therefore record whether a price is present and assignable.

Digital shelf displays

Screens increasingly replace packs, sometimes entirely, sometimes across individual shelves. For a brand this means a surface that changes several times a day and is driven by the merchandise management system. For measurement it means a separate record: what is shown, for how long and in which rotation can no longer be read from the shelf image alone.

Our measurement

POS Monitor Pharmacy

A fixed panel, visited six times a year, using the same survey methodology. The result is a time series that separates changes in your own visibility from seasonal effects and allows comparison with competitors.

  • Visibility by brand and pack, by field of vision and facings
  • Implementation of agreements within pharmacy associations
  • Promotional pressure through secondary placements and window displays, the latter even holistically
  • Linked to sales data through our partnership with IQVIA™, as a special analysis or as the POS Monitor add-on POS Impact
See POS Monitor Pharmacy

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