Tag: Retail

WATERLOO, Iowa – When you take a data-centric approach to retail, it’s a good fit for nearly every HME provider, says Tim VanAntwerp, who was recently named director of retail services for VGM & Associates.  “Retail was always something we did,” said VanAntwerp, a long-time HME provider, most recently of Van’s Medical Equipment. “But things really got interesting when we started looking at our rejections in Brightree and we looked at those as opportunities...

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - SpinLife, a division of Numotion, has opened its first physical location in New Castle, Del.  “We are thrilled to open our first physical location in Delaware,” said Pattiann McAdams, SpinLife senior vice president and general manager. “SpinLife is committed to specializing in mobility equipment for both the aging and disabled populations, offering unique products in key categories, such as scooters, power and manual wheelchairs, lift chairs, beds, and...

GREEN OAKS, Ill. – NorthShore Care Supply has been named a Top 1000 Digital Retailer for the sixth year in a row. The company has moved up to 716 on Digital Commerce 360’s annual list, a comprehensive ranking of the leading 1,000 online retailers headquartered in North America. After collecting hundreds of data points from each retailer, Digital Commerce 360 performs a detailed analysis of industry benchmarks, including mobile sales, average order value, website features and functions,...

YARMOUTH, Maine - When customer demand for standard DME took a nosedive during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail providers found themselves shifting gears to meet market demands. For Mark Nicotera, president of AZ MediQuip in Scottsdale, Ariz., that meant taking a leap of faith to source a variety of personal protective equipment, which he doesn't typically stock, from new distributors when he was unable to obtain it from well-known companies. “We had to...

HERMITAGE, Tenn. - Provider Kevin Brown was hit with a double whammy in early March, when a deadly tornado struck the Nashville area, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold. Brown, one of the owners of All Star Medical Supply, which has two locations in Tennessee, was attending Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas when he got word that a Category 3 tornado had damaged the Hermitage location. “I had to come back to deal with the rebuild of a store and COVID,” he said....

CARLSBAD, Calif. - Eppic Medical has acquired Mobul: the mobility store in Long Beach, Calif. As part of the acquisition, which is Eppic Medical's third, Mobul will also provide custom complex rehab products to customers requiring more than just standard medical equipment. Eppic Medical, an HME retailer based here serving customers in Palm Desert and San Diego, is affiliated with Access Medical, a provider of complex rehab products with offices in Carlsbad, Anaheim, Palm Desert, Burlingame, Honolulu...

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...

Q. What are some retail strategies to consider for 2020?A. Stop selling “products.” Yes, I said stop selling products. Your customers can buy products from online retailers who entice them with a huge selection and rock-bottom prices.  It is tough to compete with that if all you offer is products, as well. You need to give them a reason to choose your store.The reason they should choose your store is because of your specialty and expertise in HME products.  Sifting through a...

ATLANTA - There's a new pavilion on the Medtrade show floor this year, the Retail Product Pavilion. Medtrade and VGM have applied the successful concept of the New Product Pavilion, including an awards program on the last day of the show, to retail products. “The industry has changed— there are a lot of folks looking for ancillary sales,” said Mark Lind, associate show director, healthcare, for Medtrade and Medtrade Spring. “We have the success of the New Product...

A. There is a lot of information available in this industry about expanding retail sales of HME products to your patients. You see it in many publications, at Medtrade, at regional or state association meeting as well as manufacturer sponsored events.  While the information provided is useful and accurate when it comes to physical merchandising and sales methodology, It falls short when it comes to addressing the “retail apocalypse” by re-emphasizing tradition retail models. Amazon...