By Lotte Reiter

Horsham’s Priceline Pharmacy has become the benchmark business for more than 500 other Australian Priceline stores after winning its second national ‘Store of the Year’ award.

The store won both state and national awards for 2018 at a ceremony at Priceline’s national conference in Brisbane, becoming the first store to take the title twice.

Co-owner Stuart Hall said reinventing the Darlot Street shop space in 2017 had a large impact on their results and recognition from the brand.

“We opened Horsham Priceline Pharmacy in 2013 and by 2015 we had won the state and national award as Priceline Store of the Year,” he said.

“But we didn’t sit back and say, ‘job’s done’. We had a good store and we could have just stuck with, but we made a very big investment in 2017 and extended the store about 100 square-metres.

“We continually look for ways to improve our customer experiences.”

Mr Hall said extending and refurbishing the store was an investment in, and commitment to, the community.

“The refurbishment allowed us to create more space for customers, adding to the pleasure and simplicity of their shopping experience,” he said

“We also installed luminescent signage and a more expansive beauty area, and to improve our level of care, we built another consultancy room.”

While the refurbishment contributed to their award, Mr Hall said community engagement and customer satisfaction were also key judging criteria.

He said Priceline sponsored many sporting clubs and associations in the region and helped support women’s charities through Priceline’s Sisterhood Foundation.

“We are proud of what we put back into our community and we get a lot of satisfaction doing it,” he said.

“Ita Buttrose visited about 12 months ago as part of our fundraising activities for the sisterhood foundation.

“We raised more than $10,000 that year. 

“We also need to thank our customers throughout the region because they have embraced our new concept and supported us from the start.”

Mr Hall praised his entire team and business partner Cobie McQueen for the win, who he said was a driver of the store’s successes.

“Cobie can take much of the credit for this award because she led the refurbishment project and had plenty of input into the finished design,” he said.

“And our staff have always had a positive attitude. Staff start at 6am putting out price tickets for catalogue sales. It is commitment like that, that never goes away.

“We were very surprised and honoured with this award. We don’t take it for granted at all.”

The entire July 3, 2019 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!