Sainsbury’s opens first-ever combined pharmacy and convenience store

Friday September 12th 2014

 

Sainsbury's has opened its first combined convenience shop and pharmacy on a hospital site.

Open seven days a week from 7am to 11pm, the store at London’s Guy’s Hospital will offer a pharmacy service as well as a wide range of convenience goods for patients and visitors using the hospital.

Sainsbury’s has been providing a pharmacy service to outpatients at Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital since 2012 but this will be the first-time a retailer has combined a pharmacy and convenience store in a hospital setting.

The retailer now runs over 200 convenience shops across London employing 6,000 people and is planning to open up to 30 new stores in the capital in the next six months which will create around 500 jobs.

As part of its expansion plans Sainsbury’s opened a convenience training centre in Brixton earlier this year to train 700 convenience managers and team leaders.

The retailer says its Sainsbury’s Local stores now account for 27% of the UK’s convenience market growth, with sales of £1.8 billion and year-on-year growth of 19%.  It is currently opening about two convenience stores every week and serves six million customers each week.

Simon Twigger, Sainsbury’s convenience managing director, said: " We know people want to shop locally and frequently, and that is why our stores are conveniently located in the places that people want and need them. We have a strong presence in London – it’s where our convenience business started, and our Local stores are going from strength to strength. Not only do they provide choice for local people, but they boost the local economy, and provide jobs."