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Gordons Chemists the popular Sugar Island Pharmacy has reopened following severe flooding that caused havoc in the store at the end of October. The opening restores the Vital Healthcare Service to Newry's Sugar Island community.
Gordons have been a household name in Newry for over 30 years. Employing 9 staff from the local area, they have been providing professional pharmacy services and exceptional customer service to the local community of Newry.
When it was discovered that the store was one of the many businesses hit by the devastating floods in the Sugar Island area, it was all hands on deck to get a recovery plan put in place to ensure that its’ patients were still provided with the vital services they required.
Pharmacy Manager Elisha recounts the initial steps taken; “It was vital to ensure that we could still dispense our patient’s prescriptions, so these were re-directed to one of our neighbouring branches in Rathfriland. We continued to collect prescriptions from the local surgeries and patients were contacted accordingly to arrange delivery. We kept our patients informed of the operational changes via social media and local signage.”
Elisha continues; “The store was physically closed for a total of 10 days while the clean-up operation took place. As you can see from the photos, there was considerable flood damage to the premises and stock. Staff from all departments within the company took on the arduous task of completely clearing the store so the extent of the damage could be assessed. With the help from outside contractors and a specialist cleaning company, we were able to get the shop opened and operational. This enabled us to recommence our pharmacy operations while the rest of the premises is being redeveloped.
Behind the scenes, work is still continuing in the store. Whilst the store may not look like it was before, the team at Gordons Chemists are working hard to ensure we have the bestselling lines for our Newry customers. As the store undergoes this transitional period, we welcome our valued patients and customers back in store.”
Many of the neighbouring businesses in Sugar Island are in the same position. Some have reopened, like George Preston Florist, Synge & Byrne (from a mobile unit), Post Office, Lorsha Design and Nugelato.
Gordons Chemists extends heartfelt gratitude to the local businesses in Sugar Island and to Eamon Connolly from Newry BID, for their unwavering support and dedication. Appreciation also goes out to all the Gordons Chemists staff, whose immense support played a pivotal role in restoring operations at the Newry store. Without all these collective efforts, this recovery would not have been possible.
We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our valued patients and customers, for their understanding and patience whilst we undergo the redevelopment of the store. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
It is vital that the Newry community comes together to continue supporting the local businesses in the Sugar Island area now and into 2024.
