Alliance Pharmacy
White with green or blue represents a medical environment |
In Brighton they chose beige and white. White with blue-grey and oak
was a theme in Epsom and burgundy was among the tones in Watford. But
how and why did pharmacy owners choose these colours for recent pharmacy
refits?
Ammu Vijayanand of specialist shopfitters Rapeed says that clients ultimately
specify their own colours for refits, although a “blue and white
clinical feel” is a popular choice for pharmacies.
But how can you be sure of making the right decision with colour? Will
the final scheme appeal to customers? Consumer psychologist Cathrine
Jansson-Boyd of Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, explains that choosing
colour for shop interiors is not clear cut. “Cultural associations
are important,” she says, adding that, European customers might
expect a medical-type of environment in a pharmacy, often white with
green or blue. She cites the example of Boots The Chemists, with its
white and blue theme.
Dr Jansson-Boyd describes how colour can be used to help create the “atmospherics” of
a store, appropriate to what is being sold. Tones and lighting of colours
are vital, although no absolute rules about colour choice can be made.
Cream colours are thought to give a warm and comforting feeling. This
can also be achieved with white combined with slightly yellow lighting.
Making the lighting too yellow though can be a mistake, she advises,
because this is associated with a lack of “freshness”. In
addition, lower lighting should be avoided in dispensaries because it
may lead to increased prescription errors.
Dr Jansson-Boyd also warns against the use of too much grey, which can
give a dull impression. She believes that, while pharmacy customers will
appreciate a light, clean environment, the shop should not look like
a hospital, and should give a friendlier ambience. Yellow rather than
blue tones of any colour such as green, can soften its impact. Many pharmacy
owners choose wood finishes, giving warmth to their choices.
Dr Janssen-Boyd goes on to say how owners of businesses serving small
communities can take their friendly atmospherics a stage further — plumping
for much warmer, “braver” colours, to reflect the positive
social aspects of pharmacies.
On the use of differing colours in one pharmacy, Dr Jansson-Boyd advises
on subtle changes between hues. A difference in the colour of flooring
or shelf edging can set two sections apart, but too many colours in small
areas can lead to a cluttered feel.
At Alliance Pharmacy, innovations and visual marketing manager Ian Sellers,
explains how the company used the traditional pharmacy colour green in
two tones to create an “approachable feel to the brand”.
These colours can be seen in store as well. In Mr Sellers’ opinion,
customers expect to find “a hint of a hospital” in the pharmacy,
with bright, clean colours and a lot of white, but the company decided
on the use of wood in shelving and wall backings to soften the chosen
look. It uses “zoning” rather than colour changes to delineate
between sundries and medicines. “The environment is too small to
mix colours,” Mr Sellers believes, adding that every item on the
shelf had coloured packaging, which itself can result in a “busy” look.
In some of Alliance Pharmacy’s newer stores, accent colours have
been used to give the shops a lift. In one store, purple has been used
to create a break between the main store and the medicines counter. Consultation
areas are light and airy and “non-selling” posters have been
put up on the plain walls.
Pharmacists may be familiar with common colour theories, such as the
calming effect of “cool” colours, such as green and blue,
or the stimulating influence of “hot” colours, such as red,
but Dr Jansson-Boyd warns against simplistic use of these models and
gives a reminder of the importance of cultural and social influence.
(For example, red is associated with rage in Western culture but with
happiness in China.) An entire industry is devoted to colour in the consumer
sector, particularly in the United States, and yet another is concerned
with colour as part of design in health care environments, primarily
hospitals. Community pharmacists have to blend both these aspects in
their premises. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal