Tag: Home health retail
Remedy for retail
January 13, 2017Kelly Bothum
FLETCHER, N.C. - As many retailers push for a greater online presence to woo would-be customers, Remedy Health & Wellness is taking a different approach, putting the focus squarely on customers who walk through its doors.
The Fletcher, N.C., store is designed to help customer with just about any health or wellness issue, whether it's a new mom looking for a breast pump or a weekend warrior hoping to stay active and reduce discomfort, said Marcus Suess, who co-owns the store with Jason De Los...
Reinventing Kare
April 24, 2015Liz Beaulieu, Editor
MAGNOLIA, N.J. - It's not enough for Seth Auerbach, the president and owner of Komfort & Kare, to do retail. He wants to “reinvent the experience.”Auerbach swapped his old location for a new location in February, giving it the same attention to detail as an Apple store or a Starbucks coffee shop, with help from the Architectural Fabrication Group, which designed the furnishings, lighting, retail display stands and graphics.“We wanted to stand out,” he said. “We didn't...
Million-dollar leap of faith pays off
June 21, 2013Elizabeth Deprey
PEORIA, Ill. - How do you make your customers feel like a million bucks? Invest $1 million into a space that provides a new HME experience, says provider Chris Monroe. Monroe, president of Peoria, Ill.-based Family Medical Equipment and Supplies, spent the past year doing just that, moving his shop to a fully renovated building that offers a brighter, more colorful atmosphere for customers. Monroe and his wife, Heather, added to the experience by opening a café in partnership with a local coffee...
Retail therapy: Uplifting Every Woman
June 21, 2013Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Casey Bolt was too young to understand much when her maternal grandmother survived a bout with breast cancer, but she now plans to make a career out of helping other women.“I wanted to get more involved,” said Bolt, manager of women's health services at For Every Woman, a boutique she opened with her mother, Jackie Bolt, in May. “I also like the concept of women helping women.”For Every Woman is a sister company to Carolina Homecare, a full line HME and...
Retail: Determine your retail niche
June 21, 2013Mike Kuller
A. Pricing in retail is an art, and there are a number of factors you must consider. What niche are you trying to fill? Are you a low-priced discounter, or are you in a higher income area where you can emphasize quality and service over price? Who are your main competitors, and how are they pricing similar products? Finally, an important consideration is your gross profit, which you want to be around 50% on the mix of all of your sales. For the most part, I suggest doubling your cost on average...
Retail: Put feet on the street
May 24, 2013Mike Kuller
A. In retail, the goal is to drive as much traffic as possible into the store. You are trying to make the public aware you are there and give them a reason to come in. Much of this can be accomplished by installing signage, implementing store promotions, advertising in the telephone book and newspaper, optimizing your website for search engines, as well as taking out ads on radio and TV among the many other available places. But if you only focus on the buying public, you may miss all of the potential...
Retail? Time for 'The Next Step'
October 24, 2012Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Mike Kuller has spent the past two years nurturing his retail DME business. Along the way, he's experienced his share of success—and failure. In November, Kuller, founder and president of Allstar Medical Supplies in Concord, Calif., will publish “The Next Step,” which offers advice and details Kuller's experience. Kuller spoke with HME News recently about why he thinks it's time for providers to jump into retail with both feet.HME News: Why did you decide to write a book?Mike Kuller:...
Ambercare goes full throttle with web, retail stores
October 24, 2012Elizabeth Deprey
BELEN, N.M. - Ambercare launched an e-commerce website in September, the latest move in its push into retail, which includes the addition of two new showroom locations within the past year.“The way the DME industry is changing, we wanted to have options,” said Bob Bruce, retail and web sales manager.The 15-year-old Ambercare opened its first retail location in 2010. The provider offers home health care, physical therapy and hospice on top of its full line of HME at 11 locations in New...
Providers welcome retail-only products
October 24, 2012Liz Beaulieu, Editor
What do HME providers have to say about manufacturers coming out with non-coded, retail-only power mobility devices (PMDs)? Bring. Them. On.“I think it's much more attractive than it's ever been,” said Jim Greatorex, president of Black Bear Medical in Portland, Maine.PMDs have been hard hit by changes to documentation requirements and reimbursement in the past few years. The most recent: Medicare now requires a prior authorization process in certain states.Providers say the changes not...