Six design tips to help maximize dispensary sales

Six design tips can help make your new dispensary more effective-and profitable.

1. Demographics count

One of my "secret weapons" that I use to customize offices is a Web site called My Best Segments ( http://www.claritas.com/). Featuring free demographic information from Claritas, a leader in demographics and customer segment profiling, the Web site has taken a mountain of data on consumers, filtered it into cohesive lifestyle groups, and given them each a clever name such as Money and Brains, Bohemian Mix, and Kids & Cul-de-sacs.

Enter a zip code on the Web site and up pops the top five groups living in that zip code. Click on each group name to learn more specific information such as income, average number of kids, education, favorite restaurants and TV shows, sports they enjoy, even the make and model of car they are likely to drive.

Did I mention that all this information is free?

2. Differentiate price points by how frames are displayed

Many practices are faced with the problem of how to display $60 insurance frames and $600 designer frames (along with everything in between) in the same optical showroom without making patients afraid they can't afford you or unsure that you have the designer brands they want. The solution is to display them in distinctly different ways using distinctly different materials.

Lower-priced eyewear frames can be crowded together on frame bars or rotators. Glass shelves are good for middle-priced frames, but high-end frames should be shown off in locking showcases with bright, built-in lighting. Leave some empty space around high fashion frames so they look more exclusive and special.