ant environment, which consists or interactions between the task environment and task environment, has been changing over the past 25 years. As competition has increased among grocery, discount and mass merchandising chains, blurring of channels has occurred. This is due to stores selling an increasing variety of goods to try to broaden their customer base and provide “one-stop” shopping. Many of these stores have added pharmacies as a source of convenience for their customers, and to increase store traffic, usually positioning the pharmacy in the back of the store. In response to this pressure, both independent and chain drugstores have greatly increased the variety of their retail product offerings. The sale of cosmetics, along with health and beauty aids, has become an important profit generator for retail drugstores. Many are now also positioning themselves to compete with convenience stores by offering snack food items, beverages, and staple items. The move to stand-alone stores located on major roads with ample, close-in parking has been an important factor contributing to convenience. Customers: As indicated by the type of competition seen in the retail drugstore industry, the target market is very broad. The target market for prescription drugs includes almost nearly all peoples. Currently, the most frequent users are children under 10 and seniors over the age of 65. The buyers of health and beauty aids also consist of a wide range of users. Younger users tend to buy hair care and hygiene products initially, then add cosmetics and skin care items as they mature. The addition of a wide range of household items, including kitchenware, toys, pet care items, and lawn care items has enhanced the appeal of the drugstore as a one-stop shopping destination, where frequently used items can be picked up while a prescription is being filled. The development of a strategy that focuses on convenience items will fur...
