Mercury (Hobart)

NEW CHEMIST STORES JUST THE TONIC

- CAMERON WHITELEY

TWO new Chemist Warehouse outlets are set to launch in southern Tasmania next week, as the chain increases its footprint in the region to 13 stores.

A store at Rosny will open on Monday at 27 Bligh St, formerly occupied by retailers Harvey Norman and Bunnings.

The following day, a North Hobart outlet will open at 350 Elizabeth St, next to Zap Fitness gym. The site used to be home to discount store

Chickenfee­d and has been vacant since 2012.

It means Chemist Warehouse will have 18 stores across Tasmania — 13 in the south and five in the north. It has also flagged an interest in exploring opportunit­ies for expansion in the North-West.

In November, the chain opened a new store at the former Zap gym site on Montpelier Retreat, Salamanca, as neighbouri­ng pharmacy My Chemist was relocated and rebranded.

Chemist Warehouse

Tasmanian state manager Warren Lucas said while it was hoped the Rosny and North Hobart stores would be open by last year, it was exciting they would finally be launched.

“It’s been a very long process,’’ he said.

“Since March of last year we’ve been working on the stores, but we’ve obviously had delays due to COVID.

“We were hoping to open both of them in mid-2020, but they were delayed due to the travel restrictio­ns in place.”

The new outlets will create a combined 10 full-time equivalent roles.

Mr Lucas said Chemist Warehouse was interested in being involved with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

The Rosny store will be open from 8am to 9pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 9am to 9pm on Sundays and public holidays.

The North Hobart outlet will be open from 8am to 9pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am to 8pm on weekends and public holidays.

 ??  ?? Chemist Warehouse pharmacist manager James Kocharunch­itt and state manager Warren Lucas in the chain’s new store at Rosny, one of two opening in southern Tasmania. Picture: Chris Kidd
Chemist Warehouse pharmacist manager James Kocharunch­itt and state manager Warren Lucas in the chain’s new store at Rosny, one of two opening in southern Tasmania. Picture: Chris Kidd

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