The new website is up and running now at www.reedspharmacy.co.uk. There will be a few things to add to it, and I can't quite blog there yet but I'll pick it up over there as soon as I can.
Thanks for following so far. See you at www.reedspharmacy.co.uk!
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
The new website
Advance notice - we've seen the new website, and it's looking very good. Our designers are just putting the finishing touches to it, then we'll announce the address and this blog will continue there.
The response to the new Globe has exceeded all our hopes and expectations and the chief challenge we face now is keeping it looking good. There are a lot of shelves to dust, but fortunately Debbie is a fanatical cleaner and is only too happy to grab a duster and the glass cleaner. Unfortunately she also believes that bleach is one of mankind's greatest inventions and we have to remind her that not all surfaces respond well to chlorinated chemicals. Children, for example, tend to lose their shine if they're scrubbed with Domestos.
As we've said - watch this space.
The response to the new Globe has exceeded all our hopes and expectations and the chief challenge we face now is keeping it looking good. There are a lot of shelves to dust, but fortunately Debbie is a fanatical cleaner and is only too happy to grab a duster and the glass cleaner. Unfortunately she also believes that bleach is one of mankind's greatest inventions and we have to remind her that not all surfaces respond well to chlorinated chemicals. Children, for example, tend to lose their shine if they're scrubbed with Domestos.
As we've said - watch this space.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
A fortnight on...
Things are going very well. We've had a huge number of very positive comments about our rebuild and the way we've kept the character of the building.
There have been three criticisms that I'll try to deal with now.
1. It's the other side of the road. Yes, it is. Moving it wasn't an option so we rebuilt it where The Globe was.
2. There's no parking. Again, undoubtedly true. But there wasn't at our own shop. There are drop-off areas for most of the day in front of us and a half-hour parking area in Edward Street. City premises just don't come with car parking now.
3. You haven't got a big neon green cross. It's a listed building in a conservation area, so the scope for signage is very limited. We have a traditional signwriter painting signs for us but he has very limited access during the week so it's taking a bit of time.
Our new website is almost ready, so as soon as we have an address to announce I'll post it here.
As far as the flats are concerned, the builder thinks it will be about five weeks before we're ready to decorate, so they should be ready at the end of September or early October.
There have been three criticisms that I'll try to deal with now.
1. It's the other side of the road. Yes, it is. Moving it wasn't an option so we rebuilt it where The Globe was.
2. There's no parking. Again, undoubtedly true. But there wasn't at our own shop. There are drop-off areas for most of the day in front of us and a half-hour parking area in Edward Street. City premises just don't come with car parking now.
3. You haven't got a big neon green cross. It's a listed building in a conservation area, so the scope for signage is very limited. We have a traditional signwriter painting signs for us but he has very limited access during the week so it's taking a bit of time.
Our new website is almost ready, so as soon as we have an address to announce I'll post it here.
As far as the flats are concerned, the builder thinks it will be about five weeks before we're ready to decorate, so they should be ready at the end of September or early October.
Monday, 25 July 2011
We're open!
There are still a few things to sort out like phone lines and computer networks, but we're up and running! Feel free to visit. Bring plenty of cash - you're sure to see something you'd like.
Friday, 22 July 2011
The Last Farewell
If all goes to plan, this should be our last weekend at the old premises before we cross the road. There are still a number of teething problems to sort out, mainly involving phones and computers, but the team are on it and we have to trust them to sort it all out in the end.
We lined up at lunchtime for a last picture in front of number 10, for which we will retain a lot of affection.
From left to right: Debbie, Angela, Gillian, Rachel, Rosemary and Heather. You'll see them all in the new place.
We lined up at lunchtime for a last picture in front of number 10, for which we will retain a lot of affection.
From left to right: Debbie, Angela, Gillian, Rachel, Rosemary and Heather. You'll see them all in the new place.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Counting down
The shopfitters are cutting, nailing, sticking and sawing at pace and assure me that they will be finished by Saturday evening ready for the builders and decorators to return for a last whizz round.
Now that the shelving units are in place and we have toilets fixed to the ground rather than wrapped in large sheets of clingfilm, we can begin to see what the new place will look like. We took our staff for a sneak preview and I think it's fair to say that they are energised at the thought of having a new, clean work environment.
With the new place comes some new ideas. We've always tried to stress our personal service, and we'll do that more over the next few months. We have three completely new ranges of product with which I'm personally very pleased, none of which are currently available in the Truro area.
It's a few years since we last had a shopfit, but I recall that then we had some customers who were worried that we would put up our prices to make them pay for it. That won't be the case. If prices go up, it's because prices are going up everywhere. We will have some slightly more expensive lines because we're looking for some high quality products, but we've also been very pleased with the response to our £1 specials and we'll keep those running when we move. (These are items we can sell for a pound or less, which we may not be able to get again at that price.)
If you've walked past The Globe in the past week or so you may well have seen Stuart, Dave and Chris working late into the evening to get it ready. They tell me they're enjoying being in Truro and that they think you'll be impressed by what you see when the doors open. We hope they're right!
Now that the shelving units are in place and we have toilets fixed to the ground rather than wrapped in large sheets of clingfilm, we can begin to see what the new place will look like. We took our staff for a sneak preview and I think it's fair to say that they are energised at the thought of having a new, clean work environment.
With the new place comes some new ideas. We've always tried to stress our personal service, and we'll do that more over the next few months. We have three completely new ranges of product with which I'm personally very pleased, none of which are currently available in the Truro area.
It's a few years since we last had a shopfit, but I recall that then we had some customers who were worried that we would put up our prices to make them pay for it. That won't be the case. If prices go up, it's because prices are going up everywhere. We will have some slightly more expensive lines because we're looking for some high quality products, but we've also been very pleased with the response to our £1 specials and we'll keep those running when we move. (These are items we can sell for a pound or less, which we may not be able to get again at that price.)
If you've walked past The Globe in the past week or so you may well have seen Stuart, Dave and Chris working late into the evening to get it ready. They tell me they're enjoying being in Truro and that they think you'll be impressed by what you see when the doors open. We hope they're right!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Fitting out
The shopfitters have been hard at work since Monday and already you can see the building taking shape internally. We opted for wooden fittings rather than metal. They're more expensive, but they suit the building better and they can fit awkward little corners. Here's a shot of the dispensary. The front fitting will be behind the counter so we can serve you with medicines by just turning round.
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The wheelbarrow is about where one of the tills will be, but there'll be another at the other end of the counter, so we hope to reduce queueing.
The kitchen has had a great amount of work done on it, with new walls, windows, ceilings and floors, and now the units are in place too.
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The place is a beehive much of the day, with three shopfitters, painters, electricians, plumbers and a lot of carpenters hard at work, but now we're really moving forward at pace.
I'm not going to give too much detail on this blog from here on, because I don't want to spoil the surprise when we fling the doors open at the end of the month!
The wheelbarrow is about where one of the tills will be, but there'll be another at the other end of the counter, so we hope to reduce queueing.
The kitchen has had a great amount of work done on it, with new walls, windows, ceilings and floors, and now the units are in place too.
The place is a beehive much of the day, with three shopfitters, painters, electricians, plumbers and a lot of carpenters hard at work, but now we're really moving forward at pace.
I'm not going to give too much detail on this blog from here on, because I don't want to spoil the surprise when we fling the doors open at the end of the month!
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