PERCEIVED competence, benevolence and provision of accurate information have been shown to be the decision drivers in a consumer's choice of complementary medicine purchase supplier, according to new Australian research.
Supermarkets and pharmacies were pitted against each other in the battle for consumer affections with the ultimate factor essentially boiling down to elements of a very simple but by no means universal trait - trust in the vendor.
Business schools in Queensland (QUT), Armidale (UNE) and Hobart (University of Tasmania) collaborated in a study surveying 402 supermarket shoppers and 310 community pharmacy shoppers.
While pharmacies clearly won the confidence of purchasers on the perceived level of competence, benevolence and provision of accurate information parameters, supermarkets did well if the consumer perceived the retailer was competent in providing access to safe nonprescription medicines, i.e. it had the range, and had the ability to handle transactions.
The recommendations to pharmacy revolve principally around training of first-customer-facing staff, namely shop assistants.
Price did not raise its head as a big factor with large supermarket and warehouse-styled pharmacy groups now in play.
The study was published in this month's International Journal of Pharmacy Practice - CLICK HERE.
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