Now It’s Pharmacies At Supermarkets

Issued by 141 Palace Plus for Woolworths (NZ) Limited

Shoppers will soon be able to have prescriptions filled at the same place they do their grocery shopping.

The move follows today’s announcement of a heads of agreement between Woolworths and the Unichem Pharmacy group to establish three pharmacies attached to Woolworths supermarkets.

The first Unichem pharmacy will open in Woolworths’ Johnsonville store before Christmas.

Mr Andrew Davidson, Woolworths’ Chief Executive Officer, said other sites had yet to be decided.

He said the move was a result of research undertaken by Woolworths that had revealed consumer demand for increased convenience and one-stop shopping.

“There is strong synergy between Unichem’s customers and our own,” Mr Davidson said. “They have told us they would like to shop at pharmacy while they are doing their grocery shopping.

“The new partnership will see the pharmacy sited off a common lobby.”

The pharmacies will be owned and operated by qualified pharmacists under the Unichem brand and licence.

Unichem’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Roper, said the agreement was an important one for the group as it expanded the brand’s distribution channels and was “one step closer to one-stop shopping”.

“There are many similarities between Unichem and Woolworths shoppers and we are keen to be able to provide them with the facilities and products they have told us they want.”

Mr Davidson said the face of retail was constantly changing and businesses needed to frequently review their offer to ensure their customers’ needs were being met.

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