Visual communication4
Automated check-in machine..4
Product display .5
Signs .6
Sitting places 7
Store planning .8
Entrance and exit 8
Services desk 8
Shipping and receiving merchandise ..9
Storage of merchandise 9
Storage space 10
Store design ...10
Employee break room ...10
Dressing room 10
Space allocation 11
Layout and circulation ..11
Merchandise ..11
Presentation 11
Conclusion .12
Reference ..13
Introduction
Walgreen Company is one of the largest retail and drugstore in the United States. The company operates more than 8,217 stores in the 50 states. It was found in 1901 in Chicago where the headquarters is located. The company provides consumable products to the customers together with the pharmacy, health and wellness services in the drugs stores. It has invested in online services such as drugstore and beauty communication.
It has a number of the activities that are being undertaken to attract customers and selling of the services that are offered. The management of the company is located at Chicago suburb Illinois and having the different drugstores in the United States. The services deliveries have been improved since the introduction of the drugstores with the aim of health support (Pride & Ferrell, 2013). Drugs are the major products that are traded and hence the company diversifying to the health services and beauty to increase the scope in marketing.
There are different divisions in the company depending with the products that are offered. The first one is Walgreen Health Services which covers the drugs outlets. The second one is Walgreens Health and wellness and finally the retail drugstores. These divisions provide the services to the customers depending with the services they seek.
Different drugstore outlets are located in different states, but they are made in a manner that contributes to easier attention of customers. The services offered are of high quality as they have the same motive of maintaining health and quality service delivery (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). The companies have received popularity from the nature of the services they provide and their friendly interaction of the pharmacists to the customers.
Visual Communication
The presentation of Walgreen Company building is in the nature that attracts the customers from all directions. The company name is identical as the designs that are used are unique and customers to recognize it easily. Apart from the name, the buildings have the similarity across the sections and branches in the United States. The colors that are used are recognized at a distance hence the customers and visitors have an easy time locating Walgreen drugstores.
The stores layouts of Walgreen are arranged in such a way that customers are easily given the services easily. The products are set in a manner that the customers have self-services. There are different sections that are involved in the layout, and they make the progress of the customers easy (Tan & He, 2005). The selection of the sections that customers are interested in are directed by the section that the services are being found. The attention that the customers are being accorded depends with the need and emergency cases.
Automated check-in machines for customer to refill
At the entrance of Walgreen drugstores, there are a number of automated machines that are located in a place where customers and visitors refills easily. It gives the customers numbers according to the section they are visiting. It has processes that are followed as the customer has to give the details of the place to visit. Through the automatic response and the number of the visitors and customer present, the machine has the capacity of giving them a number in the roll call and directing one to the appropriate counter. This is one of the strategies that are used in directing the customers and ensuring the service delivery is efficient. The customer does not have to queue as the numbers are read and called through the voice speaker. Then the customer is directed to the counter that they should visit.
The entrances of the drugstores are located near the parking for easier access of the customers. The customers are given the chance to pass through the security check and then to the automated machine for their booking. They are then welcomed by the pharmacists who are located in different counters depending with their numbers. The services that are accorded depend with their needs. The music and the videos that are presented in the waiting bay are cool and affectionate. It helps the customers to relax and feel welcomed to the services that are offered in the store.
Product display
The products displays are in a manner that the customers do not strain in choosing the essential products. The shelves provided for health and beauty products are accessible, and their presentations are perfect. The sections of the products are outlined clearly whereby the customers move directly to the right shelves (Tan & He, 2005). The drugs are issued by qualified pharmacists, and they are located strategically in different places. Therefore, the customers get the attentions they deserve, and they are attended according to their needs. It is provided for the customers who seek for a private session with the pharmacist.
The products are provided with the special description of their application. In different location in the shelves and counters, there are provided the information concerning the available products in Walgreen drugstores. The customers are given a chance to search the descriptions of the health product and hence being equipped with knowledge. These are free services that are not charged, and it helps the customers to make an appropriate decision of the product to purchase. The drugs are not sold without the prescription of the pharmacists even though the customers have a chance to search them in the devices provided.
Signs
The signs provided help in guiding the customers on different locations. They help the customers to understand the direction especially to the divisions that are in the building. Products are located according to their application and hence the signs are used (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). The customer seeking for the beauty and cosmetic products are directed to their location as well as others such as health product and wellness. The new visitor takes the building map at the entrance that helps them in identification of the section. The signs that are used help in guiding the visitors throughout in the building.
Through the design that has been employed by Walgreen drugstore, the customers are getting easier access to the counters. The products are arranged according to the different needs and the over the counter and self-services are also made easier. The connection of the counters and the shelves are strategically located, and there are numerous of them under one roof. This has been applied to cater for the increasing number of the customers and visitors.
The enquiry desks are strategically located and mainly near the entrance. The customers get their services through passing in the enquiry counter in the outlets that do not have the automated check-in. In the presence of the automated check-in, the customer is also advised to pass through the enquiry desks. This is to confirm their need and how they are supposed to be given attention (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). The other options that the customers have apart from getting to the enquiry desk are visiting the pharmacists who are interacting with the customers and visitors. They are attentive, and they direct the visitors and customers to the appropriate places depending with their needs.
The products that customers are allowed to take from the shelves are consumable the health products such as soaps and detergents. These products have the instruction on how they are supposed to be applied, and interactive pharmacists are guiding the customer in making their choice.
Sitting space
The sitting spaces are arranged in a manner that would hold a large capacity of the visitors. In every health care corner where the customer seeks a private session with the pharmacists, there is waiting bay that can hold a large number of the visitors. The arrangements are done to attract and create more space to hold the high number of the customer seeking for the health advices.
Store Planning
There are various sections that are planned and arranged to ease the operation in the store. They vary from both internal and outer section of the company operation. Walgreen Company drugstores are arranged in a unique manner that makes the services accessible easily (Tan & He, 2005). The guiding brochures are provided at the entry that has the layout of the offices and different location in the store outlet. The different locations are discussed as follow:
Store layout and Settings Layout:
Flow of Traffic: The layout is designed in such a way that the traffic of the business is well handled. A customer enters into the store and sees displays immediately. The reception counters are arranged in a way that they are easily visible to the customers. The automated machine is located right in the entrance. The cash counter is near the exit and the waiting area is spacious with screens and speakers for easy flow of customers as the names are called and also for providing acoustic facilities to the waiting customers.
Maximizing sales and profits through traffic flow:
- The traffic flow plan is focused on serving as many customers as possible at the same time. It increases the number of customers that can enter the stores for services at one time.
- The plan is focused on increasing productivity by employing a limited number of dedicated staffs.
- The automated teller machine is placed in a way that there is assurance of customers not leaving the place without taking the services they want.
Display Areas:
The display areas are to be kept at the end sides of the store. The location has been chosen for the following two main reasons:
- The areas are adjusted at the sides so that the central area of customer waiting is free and spacious.
- The customers who want to buy the non-prescription drugs and directly go to the stores, buy their required goods and can easily go to the cash counter to clear their dues without much hassle. Location of Cash Registers and Check-out counters:
The cash registers are to be kept at the three different locations and preferably in different locations. The check-out counters are located right before the exit of the customers. The reasons for selecting the locations are:
- The cash registers are to be at the places where the pharmacists write their prescription drugs and so they are located at different locations so that there is no excess crowd at one specific counter.
- The check-out counters are so placed that the customers can take their prescription, pay at the counters and leave through the exit door, without having to take a round of the whole store.
Atmospherics: The atmospherics to be used in the store are to provide highest possible customer satisfaction. The types of atmospherics to be used and the reasons for their choice are:
- Music: Music soothes your ears, gives you the relief when a person enters with prescription related to certain form of pain. Music in the lobby will not only be a good time for the waiting customers, but it will also act as mood fresheners for the pharmacists on duty.
- Smell: Hospitals are supposed to be a place where there is the smell of medicine and so are drug stores. In order to give a pleasant environment to the child and adult customers waiting in the lobby, pleasant smell of air fresheners are to be used.
- Lighting: The lighting to be used may be different at different sections around the store. At the lobby, the lightings should be such that it keeps a sense of liveliness with the screens and speakers on. The counters where the pharmacists function and also the check-out counters and reception desks should have lightings that do not stress the eyes of the workers. While at the stores, the lighting should be sufficient enough for customers to read through the labels of products they require.
The Floor Plan: The floor plan minimizes security problems and helps reduce shoplifting and employee shaft in the following ways:
- The floor plan is designed in such a way that there are no off spaces anywhere and also there are no over-crowding counters at the entrance or exits. This prevents employee and customer distraction.
-The items are placed in such a way that they need to be taken carefully so that other items are not misplaced.
- There is enough space for customers to cover before reaching the exit counter so it is difficult for shoplifters to carry out any improper conduct.
Plan of the Exterior: The exteriors of the store are designed keeping in mind that there are separate entry and exits of the store. There should be equal consideration given at both places because entrance should ensure attraction whereas exit should ensure repetition. Welcome signs and introductory signs will be placed at the exteriors of the entrance and Thank you, Visit again signs with benefits of the membership signs are to be placed at the exit points. The exterior helps in enhancing the store image in the following ways:
- It connects emotionally to the customers if we have a welcoming entrance and exit, showing that we care about our customers.
- The exteriors of the store define to a large extent the expectation of the customers on the interior. So, it should be given due importance.
- The exteriors are designed to reflect our sense of simplicity and relief, and also in a way that provides tranquility to our store visitors.
Entrance and exit
They are located point where the customers and the visitor can easily get into and out the drugstore. This set in a manner that it can accommodate incoming and outgoing visitors. The location of the customers and visitors parking are strategically located nearer the entrance and exit.
Services desks
The services desks are also strategically arranged according to the departments and the division that are in the drugstore. The customers that are getting to the shelves to take different products are supposed to visit the counters that are giving the sales services. The visitors that are seeking the health attention and are in need of the pharmacists are directed to a private location (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). The services desks are arranged depending with the services that are offered. The reception and enquiry desk has a different function as they are supposed to ensure the customers and especially the first time visitors are assisted to get to their destination.
The customers are supposed to queue in the services desk to be attended individually. The location of the services outlets is in a different department as there are three divisions. The healthcare division has the pharmacists that attend the visitors individually. On the health care, products are supposed to be in shelves, and the customers with the interaction of the specialized individuals are guided around the shelves as they collect the product. They are then directed to the services desk to make their payment.
The third service desk is at the entrance of the manager's office where the customers and visitors seeking to get the managers assistance are attended by the secretary. The visitors are supposed to report their issues to the secretary and hence given the access to the manager (Pride & Ferrell, 2013). The location of the service desk is at the main entrance to the manager's office.
Shipping and receiving merchandise
The loading and offloading section is supposed to be preserved in the parking. The entrance of the products is supposed be different from the customers area of entry. They are supposed to locate in the storage area for easier loading and off loading. The products that are received are different as the departments have different products and materials. Therefore, they are supposed to be labeled so that they can be directed to their places through the channels that are provided and as the policy of Walgreen Company.
Storage of merchandise
The stores of the products are different according to the departments, but they are located at the same side. The products that are offloaded from the trucks are directed to their respective stores for convenience during packing. The store is strategically located nearer the location of the department to ease the movement when they are taken to the departments (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). The store has to ensure the products are well stored and preserved according to the description and requirement for the consumption by the customers.
The office space
The manager’s office is set in a manner that it has the overview of the entire drugstore outlet. The manager has the role of ensuring the works being presented to the customers are efficient and effective. The location of the manager's office is strategic for the visitor's access and visible from all direction. Its setting is in a manner that it can be accessed from various directions without necessarily seeking the guidance.
Other offices are located depending with the departments. The offices according to divisions of the Walgreens Company are located in the drugstores in respective areas. This gives the customers and visitors to these departments to make their enquiry in respective areas of their interest.
Store Design
Employees break rooms
Employees are provided with a section where they are supposed to spend their break while being served with the tea. These rooms are designed in a manner they are in a position to have other activities during the break time. They are supposed to relax over the break time and lunch time.
The location of the room is designed behind of the store and it consists of two entrances. One can access it from the inside the building and the outside. It is designed in a manner the employees can have an area they get the direct sunlight.
Dressing room
The connection of the dressing room and washrooms are located at the far edge of the building. There is a different entrance whereby the customers and workers are not attending the same washrooms. The dressing room consist the wardrobes where the workers ensure their dust coats are well kept.
Space allocation
The allocation of the space is done according to the three divisions that are available in Walgreen Company. The first one is the Walgreen health services that it contains specialist and their offices where they interact with the customers. In these offices, the space is needed for the customers as they are supposed to have a maximum number of the five at a time.
The second division is Walgreen health and wellness whereby the space allocation considers the equipments that are used (Tan & He, 2005). The products and shelves are allocated in a strategic place. Accessibility from the main entrance is easier as the products are centrally set. The consideration of the size of the product is in a manner that customers can locate them with a lot of ease.
Layout and circulation
A free flow layout is applied for the customers as it allows quick flow and access to the product. It helps in reducing the congestions in the stores. The entry points are different with the exit and hence giving the customer easier time. It also helps in giving the customers more attention as the time spent is less, and it is orderly . Walgreen company layout is designed in a manner which makes the process that customers go through are simplified. It is unique for the customer to easily identify the building from a distance.
Merchandising
Presentation
The products that are made available for the customers are drugs and other health products. Walgreen Company deals with the interest of the health of the citizens. It depends with the outlets and the areas that they are located. The visitors are given a chance to ensure they are easily accessing the product . The products are located in the shelves and specialized pharmacists guiding the customer to make their choice on the best product.
The health products are mostly on the detergents that are healthily manufactured and preserved for customer's use. The products are well stored, and visitors are given the instruction on their applications. Others are the drugs of which the customers are prescribed by the qualified pharmacists. On the health wellness department, the customers are guided on their body fit products and exercises (Hitt, Hoskisson, & Ireland, 2013). Beauty products are also available for the customers, and the guidance are also provided through the enquiry desk.
Conclusion
Walgreen Company has different branches outlets of drugstores all over in the United States. The presentations of the services are connected with the layout and planning that has been used. The motive behind planning is to ensure the free flows of the customers are effective and efficient to hold a large number of visitors. It also contributes in easing access to the health products shelves and drugstores hence taking less time. Finally, the companies have common structure and layout that are unique as they are connected to uniformity as the customers are common in different States.
References
Hitt, M. A., Hoskisson, R. E., & Ireland, R. D. (2013). Strategic management : competitiveness & globalization : cases. Mason, OH : South-Western, Cengage Learning.
Pride, W. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (2013). Foundations of marketing. Australia ; Mason: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
Tan, C. M., & He, F. ( 2005). How to draw & sell comic strips : content, layout, style, colour, presentation. London: Titan.
