Dear Editor:
RE: Heights loses longtime store at Gilmore Ave.
Hello, my name is Mel D'Sa and I am currently the pharmacist and owner of Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Kensington, and the former owner of Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Gilmore.
I too was very sad to see this store close. My father was the front store manager for Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Gilmore, in the mid-'90s and I spent my summers as a stock clerk there. This store has special meaning to me as well.
I wish to correct some inaccuracies found in your April 18, 2012 news article.
Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Gilmore, is approximately 4000 square feet only of retail selling space, not the 13,000 square feet as stated in the article.
I was not directly involved with discussions for the lease renewal. Unfortunately, the Shoppers Drug Mart real estate team and the landlord could not come to terms on the lease renewal. Therefore, a very difficult decision was made to move the store to a smaller 2,100 square foot Shoppers Drug Mart that opened up at 4114 Hastings St., of which I am also the pharmacist and owner.
Our core concern is the health of our patients and within this new store we have been able to keep that offering intact with an excellent pharmacy offering and dispensary as well as the pharmacy staff that our patients trust. I am happy that I could move the entire pharmacy staff over to this new location.
Faced with such a difficult decision, I made my best efforts to assist all affected employees. More than 90 per cent of all employees obtained other positions at various Shoppers Drug Mart locations. As well, I hired several employees for my Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Kensington location.
We have a commitment to all our customers and patients. I realize that the location for the new store is not ideal for our patients and customers and it does not offer them the type of Shoppers Drug Mart experience that they have come to expect.
Although the relocated store is not a large store, customers are more than welcome to visit my Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Kensington location, which has a post office, beauty boutique, photo, and food department.
As well, we recently just added specialty compounding to better serve our customers. The Kensington location is conveniently open 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, and we have free prescription delivery.
Sincerely,
Mel M. D'Sa, pharmacist and owner of Shoppers Drug Mart, Hastings and Kensington, and Shoppers Drug Mart, 4114 East Hastings St.
*Editor's note: The building where the former Shoppers Drug Mart at Hastings Street and Gilmore Avenue was located has 13,000 square feet of space, according to the Heights Merchants Association.
