A well-planned pharmacy floor layout is more than just good design, it’s a proven sales driver. Effective macro floor planning helps you position your key categories strategically, maximise shopper flow, and ensure every metre of your retail space delivers value.
This guide outlines best practice steps, practical insights, and data-driven techniques to help your pharmacy unlock the full potential of your front-of-shop.
1. What Is Macro Floor Planning?
Macro floor planning is the process of mapping your pharmacy’s retail space at a category level, determining what goes where, how much space each category receives, and how customers move through the store.
It considers:
• Category positioning and adjacencies
• Space allocation relative to sales contribution
• Customer traffic flow
• Strategic business priorities
A strong macro plan ensures the right product is in front of the right shopper at the right time, improving sales, experience, and operational efficiency.
2. Why It Matters
Optimised floor planning transforms your space into a strategic sales engine.
Benefits include:
• Increased sales efficiency by aligning space with performance data
• Higher basket value through smart adjacencies (e.g., skincare near cosmetics)
• Improved customer navigation and satisfaction
• Better visibility for growth categories such as health & wellness
• Alignment with your pharmacy’s long-term business objectives
3. How to Create a Macro Floor Plan
Step 1: Analyse Your Sales Data
Start by reviewing sales contribution, volume, and profitability by category using your EPOS system.
This data highlights which categories deserve more or less space.
💡 Tip: Ensure categories are coded correctly in EPOS before analysing data.
Step 2: Conduct a Space Analysis
Sketch your current floor layout and calculate the linear space each category occupies (shelf width × number of shelves).
Compare this to its sales contribution to identify over- or under-spaced areas.
Step 3: Define Core Shopper Groups
Determine who your main shoppers are — such as:
• Beauty-conscious customers
• Young families
• Older “empty nesters”
• Health-conscious individuals
Ask:
• Have these shopper groups changed post-COVID?
• Are there new groups you’d like to attract?
🗣️ Involve your team — their customer insights are invaluable.
Step 4: Map the Shopper Path
Observe how customers move through your store.
Consider:
• Which aisles get the most footfall?
• Which areas are overlooked?
• Where are the bottlenecks?
Use this insight to guide layout decisions and reposition key categories into high-traffic zones.
Step 5: Align with Your Strategic Goals
Your layout should reinforce your business objectives.
Examples:
• Focus on derma and skincare? Expand premium zones near cosmetics.
• Target young families? Make baby and wellness categories visible and accessible.
• Drive gifting and impulse? Create inviting, high-visibility end bays.
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Planning on perception, not data
2. Ignoring shopper flow patterns
3. Poor category adjacencies (e.g., skincare beside first aid)
4. Underusing gondola ends
5. Not reviewing layouts regularly
6. Overcrowding aisles and fixtures
5. Tips for New Stores or Major Refits
• Plan your macro layout before finalising shopfitting designs.
• Keep fixtures flexible to accommodate multiple formats.
• Prioritise OTC and high-margin zones.
• Maintain clear sightlines from the entrance.
• Treat gondola ends as premium promotional space.
• Involve your team in testing customer navigation.
6. Shopper Trends & Learnings
The post-pandemic pharmacy shopper expects a layout that’s clear, convenient, and wellness-focused.
Recent trends show:
• Growth in health & wellness and dermocosmetics categories.
• Demand for simpler navigation and open spaces.
• Continued value in impulse and seasonal displays.
• Increased alignment between online research and in-store purchase.
7. Example of a Balanced Layout
An effective pharmacy floor plan typically:
• Increases VMS and derma space to reflect category growth.
• Moves destination categories (like first aid) to quieter zones.
• Places baby near skincare or wellness to capture family shoppers.
• Reduces duplicated categories like general toiletries.
• Adjusts gondola orientation to encourage deeper store exploration.
8. Key Takeaways
✅ Use sales data to guide space decisions.
✅ Match space to performance and layout to shopper flow.
✅ Review your plan quarterly to adapt to seasonal and shopper changes.
✅ Remember: a well-planned floor drives sales, loyalty, and profitability.