The Sweet Smell of Seasonal Success

Category seasonality has always been an important consideration in retail. In recent years, however, we have seen retailers increase their efforts in maximising the opportunities particular events and holidays can bring. Big seasonal in-store displays and merchandising are no longer limited to just Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas; it has extended to other events including Halloween, football grand finals and Australia Day, among others.
In pharmacy, however, much of the channel seasonality appears to be driven by factors such as weather. Over 40{845d44a2f09c0018d802e19e78941a85dc2180e4ed7410cee0b34e8cb134ecea} of the sales for categories such as cough, cold, sinus and flu medication and throat preparations are achieved between June and September. Likewise, as we move into spring, categories such as allergy and hayfever start to see an upswing in sales. In 2015, 12{845d44a2f09c0018d802e19e78941a85dc2180e4ed7410cee0b34e8cb134ecea} of the overall sales for this category were achieved between the middle of September and the middle of October. Closer to summer, sales for sun care products pick up, with the eight weeks between the middle of November and the middle of January accounting for almost a quarter of annual sales in pharmacy. Nielsen – Read more…​