The battle between supermarkets and pharmacies is exceptionally fierce when it comes to personal care and oral hygiene products. However, with almost half of all grocery shoppers (49%) claiming to purchase painkillers in either SuperValu, Tesco or Dunnes Stores, aligned with almost a quarter (23%) purchasing from a Discounter, it seems that the contest between supermarkets and pharmacies in relation to over-the-counter products, is being just as keenly contested.
With this category being so competitive Empathy Research questioned a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ on behalf of Retail Intelligence, to identify how this contest is likely to play out in the future.
The battle appears to be mostly between price versus advice. Over half (52%) of all grocery shoppers agree that supermarkets offer better value for money with it comes to over-the-counter items, with those over the age of 45 most likely to feel this is the case. However, for a sizeable proportion of the population the advice received in a pharmacy is a key factor, with half (50%) of all grocery shoppers preferring to buy their over-the-counter items in a pharmacy, as they value the advice they receive.
Additionally, two thirds (67%) of shoppers claim they would like to see supermarkets stock a wider range of over-the-counter items in-store. However, caution is advised by some consumers to retailers with almost 3 in 10 (29%) grocery shoppers worried that supermarkets will not take appropriate care when it comes to the sale of over-the-counter items in their stores.
For more information into where health and personal care items are being purchased and the attitudes of consumers in relation to over the counter products, please contact Declan O’Reilly at Empathy Research.
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