Tag: HME retail

Q. Now that members of my local community are getting vaccinated for COVID-19, what are ways we can best market our products and services to encourage people to shop and spend in our stores? A. Marketing is the vehicle and primary communication tool to drive your retail sales. Therefore, without a marketing plan, you won’t have a strong sales strategy. In an era when consumers are bombarded with marketing and advertising just about everywhere they look and hear, the appeal, purpose and authenticity...

Q. My staff is afraid of “selling” to our customers. How do I get them over the stigma of selling HME products?  A. The answer is simple, because we are not “selling” anything - we are empowering. As HME retailers, our mission is my “Golden Rule of HME Retail”: empower every customer with engagement and education.  This rule is also what customers want. In fact, 97% of consumers...

PHOENIX – AZ MediQuip has named Mark Belanger COO to oversee the company’s operations and national development. “With a proven track record of exceeding business and financial objectives, Mark will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow and develop our business,” said Mark Nicotera, CEO of AZ MediQuip. “We are pleased to welcome Mark to the team and look forward to his contributions in leading us into the next chapters of our brand’s growth.” Belanger...

PHOENIX – Provider Mark Nicotera says after receiving multiple offers for AZ-MediQuip over the past few years, the time was right to seek outside investment to fuel his retail business. The retail-focused company recently announced it had received funding from Gemini Investors, a private equity firm. It’s a change of pace from other recent deals in the HME industry – including AdaptHealth’s acquisition of AeroCare –...

Q. My website really needs an overhaul, but it feels overwhelming. What do I need to focus on to make my website work for my retail HME store?  A. Your website is the front door of your business. Most of your potential and existing customers will go to your website to learn about your business, connect with you and find your location. Just as someone forms an opinion about your store from the physical appearance and how they are greeted and treated when they come in, the...

Q. As an HME retail store, what are the three most important things I need to do in this COVID retail reality? A. No retailer could have planned for 2020. It was crazy and unprecedented. When stay-at-home and lockdown orders rolled out in March and April, the HME industry, including retailers and providers, were deemed essential businesses and able to stay open. Even so, there were limitations that required continuous shifting and pivoting to keep the HME store open, surviving and thriving.  Here...

LAS VEGAS - When a customer walks into your retail store, don't ask them what insurance they have, providers said during a panel discussion on retail at Medtrade Spring in March.It kills the mood.“They aren't in the store because they have Medicare,” said Korry Johnston, president of Copper Star Home Medical Supplies in Arizona. “They have a situation (they want you to help them with).”Instead, start a dialogue by asking open-ended questions, says Rob Baumhover, director of...

HIGH POINT, N.C. - When Advanced Home Care decided to redesign the retail store at its flagship location, it put its customers front and center.In December, the provider held a grand opening to showcase the 1,500-square-foot retail space. It features a variety of products, including CPAP devices and supplies, scooters, wheelchairs, pain relief products, and ostomy and wound care supplies. “Everything from the colors and the lighting we used to the service desk area and the layout—it's...

LAS VEGAS - Retail opportunities continue to be a major thrust at Medtrade Spring and attendees should pay attention to the advice they get from vendors at this year's show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. It might just give them the wake-up call they need.One of the biggest concerns among independent HME providers seeking retail business is about how to compete with major online retailer Amazon. The powerhouse platform is offering home medical equipment as a part of its massive portfolio and...

HERMITAGE, Tenn. - Provider Kevin Brown has been doing retail since 2009 and dropped insurance entirely in 2015—a decision he calls the “best move ever.”“We don't have to worry about a random audit coming down the road,” said Brown, one of the owners of All Star Medical Supply, which has locations in Hermitage and Franklin, Tenn. “You can actually work on growing your business and we get paid upfront.”Brown spoke with HME News recently about the importance...