Almost 280 Sainsbury’s pharmacies have officially become LloydsPharmacy branches as part of a transaction agreed last year between J Sainsbury Plc and Celesio UK.
Over 2500 new people joined the LloydsPharmacy network on 1 September and, as staff arrived for work, they were greeted with a welcome card and video message from managing director Cormac Tobin.
Overnight on 31 August, 277 in-store pharmacies received new counter and shelf edge point of sale materials and all pharmacy teams were sporting the new uniform and name badges as the stores opened the following morning. Four hospital pharmacies were also transferred as part of the transaction.
All 277 Sainsbury’s pharmacies have been linked to a ‘buddy’ LloydsPharmacy store, and every LloydsPharmacy in Sainsbury’s was visited on the same day by a colleague from their buddy store to meet their new colleagues and provide operational support. Each store is supported by an Area Manager and an Integration Coach who visited the pharmacy teams within the first week. Integration Coaches have been appointed to support the stores and ensure that their transition into the LloydsPharmacy business is a smooth and successful one.
A programme of rebranding the pharmacies and introducing the LloydsPharmacy service-led approach began immediately and this process will be completed over an eight-month period.
‘I’m delighted that we can officially welcome our new colleagues from Sainsbury’s as they become part of the Celesio UK family of businesses and make a wonderful addition to our LloydsPharmacy retail network of stores,’ Cormac Tobin said. ‘Sainsbury’s is a fantastic fit for us; we share similar values and aspirations and we are both passionate about excellent customer service and making a positive impact on the communities we serve. Together we will create even greater opportunities and give our customers and patients compelling reasons to come back to us time and time again.’ The addition of Sainsbury’s pharmacies means that there are now around 1800 LloydsPharmacy branches, employing more than 19,000 people.