Taste of Youth – Curating Branding Experience by Design

By Peiwen Yu

 

When the owner of MedEx Pharmacy & Compounding first took over the business, the pharmacy’s interior space offers no different impression than any other typical drug stores – expressionless salesperson standing at the counter window in front of the compounding room, rows of shelves filled with messy medicines and groceries, hardly any extra place to sit and relax while waiting for your medication. He has an idea, however, of rebranding the drug store differently by offering an experience that is both functional and stylish. Around the world, many successful pharmacy businesses nowadays gain publicity and customer visits through inviting retail experience. Store spaces are not merely about selling traditional merchandise, but also extended service, social interaction and an immersive learning atmosphere.

The images above show the interior space of Molecule Pharmacy in Taipei City – a unique, non-conventional drug store where people unwind, learning about medicines over a cup of coffee. Whether you are a patient with prescriptions to fill or happen to wander into the door from busy city, or just to catch up with friends, the store offers a relaxing and refreshing lounge quality space for people to slow down, to consult wellness advice with pharmacists, or to explore the encyclopedia of medicine within a delightful vibe.

Having reviewed inspiring retail experience precedents, we got to think about how to transform the MedEx pharmacy store experience with a real budget in mind. One of the strategies is to create an inviting seminar and social lingering space for on-site health care consultation with medical professionals, attracting more customers with its interactive, cozy vibe and service programs. Indeed, when pharmacy store function goes beyond just prescription and medicines, it has the potential to provide so much health care related education, publicity and even leisure programs to non-patient visitors. The Houston based design expert Studio P+D is than engaged to transform the pharmacy, curating the store experience with a new logo, space, and furniture design, based on a unique context and lifestyle of its customers in Pearland, Texas.

First of all, MedEx Pharmacy updated all its online branding elements including the logo and website to have a fresher, warmer and more youthful look. Then the branding effort extended to creating energy and vibe through good store interior space. Starting from the moment you stand outside the entrance to entering the lobby, then into the seminar space, a fresh-looking drug store experience greets people with its thematic color, material, and furniture design. “Youth” and “wellness” is the branding message that the owner hopes to impress the customers who may be seeking various kinds of health care knowledge and solutions.

Removing the old shelves is the initial step to make space for renovation. Plan diagram of interior space renovation shows phases of the renovation that gradually transform the pharmacy store into an inviting environment with lobby, seminar and waiting zones.

Two options of seminar space arrangement explored seminar space open/enclosure scenarios, that may be suitable to different event and consultation

Furniture design is customized to reflect the branding theme color, incorporating detailed considerations of how the benches will be grouped, and how to make the seating comfortable for the potential senior users.

Seating benches are customized and made at the workshop of AAA Furniture in Houston, through many on-site mock-up review of the design team.

Phase I installation has successfully renovated the floor, wall color, wall logo, also incorporated a new seminar zone with thematic furniture.

Since the dawn of eCommerce, experts have predicted the death of physical retail. The convenience of instant ordering and free delivery offers the choice of not having to step out of your house. But even in a world of digital presence, a report from brand intelligence firm L2 suggests 72% of online shoppers worldwide consider the brick-and-mortar experience most important when making a purchase. Now more than ever, forward-thinking retailers are seeing value in looking beyond price and service to create an immersive shopping experience meant to tug at heartstrings and capture customer loyalty, even for a short while. Pharmacies and health care stores are no difference – they can offer a pleasant in-store branding experience for people to remember and talk about.

MedEx Pharmacy website: www.medxpharm.com

Photos and graphics courtesy Studio P+D