Sweden’s largest pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat saves time with StoreSpace®

In 2021 Apotek Hjärtat decided to implement StoreSpace® to manage macro space alongside the Nielsen Spaceman suite used for micro space planning. The aim was to enable data driven space planning across the pharmacy chain by integrating its macro and micro space management software and processes.

Prior to introducing StoreSpace®, Apotek Hjärtat was designing category space layouts for its pharmacies using PDFs and communicating these plans via email with each store manager using PowerPoint. While accessing up-to-date store plans was also an issue, the pharmacies were surveyed once for an earlier re-build project and updating the plans had become a challenge.

Now StoreSpace® is populated with floor plans, planograms, and regularly updated performance data on all Apotek Hjärtat’s 400 pharmacies; and each store manager and regional manager can now easily access this information. They can view the relevant pharmacy floor plan and click on any fixture to see the planogram associated with it.

“The beauty of the integration of micro and macro space is the seamless flow of data. When the Floor Planners layout the pharmacies they are creating a dynamic link between the planograms and floor plans, so they know which products they are placing at physical locations in store. This link is also reflected further downstream connecting the data to replenishment. So what is planned in StoreSpace® will have effect on what is being delivered to the store.”

Jonas Parmhed, NielsenIQ’s Nordic’s Lead

StoreSpace® has also improved the planning process with the ability to create professional-looking plans. While the proposal functionality means new pharmacy layouts can be created and shared for review before being implemented.

StoreSpace® a valuable source of retail data and information

Linda Gren, Apokek Hjärtat’s Head of Space Assortment and Purchasing commented;

“By providing store staff with this information, StoreSpace® has significantly improved our two-way communication. Staff are now questioning any issues with the in-store layouts and planograms, which we can quickly resolve and then update on the floor plans.

As a result we are building confidence in the quality of the macro and micro data and StoreSpace® is now being used by many departments across the company as a valuable source of information, which is saving a lot of time for the space planning team.”

Customer success and customer satisfaction

Following the implementation process, Apotek Hjärtat is finding the regular Customer Success meetings very useful for new ideas and finding ways to improve existing processes and embed the use of StoreSpace® across the business.

“The monthly team sessions are highly productive. We’ve identified key success milestones to help Apotek Hjärtat work towards their strategic objectives as well as getting full value from StoreSpace’s reporting and analysis to improve the performance across the pharmacy estate.“ Richard Burford Head of Client Services