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Pharmacy Shelf Placement

The space behind the counter decides OTC sales. We measure four 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.

2,500
pharmacies in the fixed panel
4×
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.

  • Stock room

    Out of sight. Products kept here reach the counter on explicit request only. In terms of brand visibility this zone counts as absent.

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

    Field of vision

    The distance to the customer’s eye level at the counter. Shelves above and below that band contribute considerably less.

  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

    Facings

    The width of the block in packs. This is the variable negotiated with pharmacy associations, and the only one that can be counted exactly.

  4. 04

    Surroundings

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

Seasons

Four surveys, because the shelf turns four times

The visible range follows the indication calendar. A single snapshot therefore describes one moment, while competition for the space runs all year.

  1. Spring

    Allergy

    Antihistamines, eye drops and nasal sprays replace the winter ranges.

  2. Summer

    Sun and travel

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

  3. Autumn

    Immune system

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

  4. Winter

    Cold and flu

    Cough, cold and sore throat take the widest blocks of the year.

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 four times a year, using the same survey methodology since 2008. 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 elements in place, from floor display to screen
  • Linked to sales data through our partnership with IQVIA™
See POS Monitor Pharmacy

More services

Want to know where your brand actually stands?

We show you the visibility of your range behind the counter, against competitors and across the year.

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