New Gordons Chemist store opens in Ballymena

You may have noticed some activity on Broughshane Street in Ballymena recently. Gordons Chemists have taken over ownership of the previous Lloyds Pharmacy, enabling them to continue providing the community of Ballymena with a range of professional health services – including dispensing of prescriptions, whilst retaining the jobs of the current 12 staff.

The local independent chain, already has a Gordons Health & Beauty store in Ballymoney Street in Ballymena, so is already a well-known name in the local area.

The Broughshane Street Pharmacy Manager, Gwen Boyd, is originally from Donegal and qualified as a pharmacist almost 10 years ago having studied at Queens University.

She has worked in the store for the last 9 years and was delighted to hear that Gordons Chemists were going to be the new owners. She commented,

“We’re delighted that Gordons Chemists have taken over the management of the store and retained all the existing staff.

“ We have a very motivated team of 12 staff, with a variety roles consisting of Dispensing Assistants, Delivery Drivers, Accuracy Checking Technicians, Trainee Pharmacist and a Beauty Consultant.

“The majority of the staff have long service; with most working in the store for over 10 years.

“One member of staff actually has 35 years’ service. We have a well-established customer base and good relationships with our customers, so it was welcoming to know that we would all be able to continue serving the community of Ballymena, whilst retaining the opportunity to expand our retail offering.”

Gwen continues to say, “We will continue to dispense NHS and private prescriptions.

Along with offering the free health board operated services - smoking cessation, flu vaccinations, stop smoking service, living well service and supervised consumption etc.

“We will also continue to offer a prescription collection service from the local GP surgeries and a delivery service dependent on location, so these services will not change.”

Tony Toner Area Manager for Gordons Chemists explains, “We currently only had a Gordons Health and Beauty store in Ballymena, so were thrilled when the opportunity came up to purchase the Lloyds Pharmacy on Broughshane Street.

“ The acquisition enables us to extend our range of professional pharmacy services within Ballymena while retaining the existing relationships with the local surgeries and their patients.

“The initial upgrades implemented since the takeover of the store have allowed us to provide a wider range of products and better array of offers.

“ This includes a refreshed and more extensive range of Clarins products along with a bigger and improved range of Fragrances – all just in time for Christmas!

“ We have also greatly increased the dispensary stock holding both in range and stock level. This will help us to provide an improved dispensary service, assisting our dedicated team of experienced Pharmacists to focus on delivering patient-focused healthcare advice and services.”

Gwen and her team are looking forward to the changes on the shop floor.

Better ongoing offers and a wider range of products will assist in a better customer experience all round in the store.

With the inclusion of household products and a larger variety of beauty products, there is a lot more to choose from. Excellence in customer service and promoting health and well-being are at the heart of everything Gordons Chemists do. Their aim is to offer customers the latest, unrivalled product ranges, exceptional value for money, with the very best customer service you’ll find anywhere! With further upgrades already planned in the near future, it is an exciting time for the new store, so make sure to call in and have a look around.

They are open Monday- Friday 9am – 6pm and Saturday 9am – 5.30pm, at 31 Broughshane Street, Ballymena.