Innisfail's Shoppers Drug Mart will close Oct. 19 and reopen as an I.D.A Pharmacy two days later, on Oct. 21.
The new location in the Henday Mall will be I.D.A.'s third location in Innisfail and will offer expanded product lines and services to its local customers.
“The changeover from Shoppers Drug Mart will be smooth,” said Marco Casagrande, vice-president of APEX /Sandstone Pharmacies. “On October 19 at midnight the location changes hands from Loblaw Companies Ltd. to APEX/Sandstone. We will be closed on the 20th to clean up the store and get our computer systems in place to open up on October 21 to the public under the I.D.A. banner.”
The vice-president explained that while the banner of the location will read I.D.A., the pharmacy will be operated by Calgary-based Sandstone Pharmacies, whose legal company name is APEX Pharmacies. Company products are sourced through the I.D.A. buying network.
“We announced the acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart location early in September for an undisclosed price,” said Casagrande of the move to Innisfail. “Since the announcement we have worked with Shoppers Drug Mart to make the transition smooth for our Innisfail clients.”
Casagrande explained that 85 per cent of the products in the store would be the same as Shoppers carried, with the remaining 15 per cent being non-corporate items that will appeal to the Innisfail market.
“As we serve our local customers, we have the ability to be flexible in the items we can carry and their choices will help us decide what to bring in,” said Casagrande. “Being a smaller company, we want to be active in the community as well. We understand what makes a place like Innisfail work and want to be part of it.”
Casagrande added there would be differences between Shoppers and I.DA. Shoppers has its popular Optimum Card while Sandstone has a loyalty program it feels is superior.
“We will be introducing our loyalty program once we open up the location and begin building our client base in Innisfail,” said Casagrande. “It will take time.”
Sandstone Pharmacies operates 15 other pharmacies in Southern and Central Alberta, with eight locations in Calgary, and eight in small communities like Blackfalds, with Innisfail being the 16th. Their locations range from 500 square feet all the way up to 19,000 square feet, which the Innisfail location boasts.
Casagrande added that most of the existing employees of Shoppers Drug Mart will be retained under the new I.D.A. banner.
“We are excited to open up in Innisfail and welcome customers new to us,” said Casagrande. “We will need the community's help to be successful, and we will be good corporate citizens in return.”
