Seeking some effective, but generic, syrup
For those in retail, knowing what your competition is up to is primordial. For the consumer, figuring out what comprises competition is very important difficult. A case in point.
I’ve found a cough syrup that works (right in my own cupboard). Slept well last night, as did the rest of the household. Of course, finding the wonder drug at the point where the quantity in hand reaches zero isn’t useful, so this morning I packed the empty container into my bag, and instead of doing lunch I set off to the nearest pharmacy.
Inside, the smiling pharmacist was immediately at my service, and after a quick glance at my label, we headed down aisle three. I learned that my generic product had been sold by the competition, but the equivalent compound was available. Another generic product would do just as well, and the price point pleased my pocketbook. But, if I hadn’t asked, I’d never have known.
Here, the pharmacies have generic names. Familiprix, Pharmaprix, Uniprix. Each with a particular logo, a particular advertising campaign, a particular “face” for TV. And all with a goal: keep the customer faithful. I’m not in the game. My visits are “hit and miss”, thankfully, and what brings me in the front door is proximity. In truth, I can’t tell you which company served me today, or the time before. Generic retail.
The downside is that my “comparison shopper” skills are null. Did my choice, today, reflect what the marketing mavens desire? Hardly. But I have a new bottle of syrup, and in spite of their best efforts to flim-flam me, I’m feeling better already.
