Lloydspharmacy owner Celesio has announced that it is planning rebrand the chain as Lloyds. The German group said the move was part of its plans to become “the leading pharmacy brand in Europe” in a major realignment of its retail portfolio.
Celesio is currently undertaking a trial of what it called “the corner stones of its future European Pharmacy Network” which will see a cross-group standardisation at all its pharmacies. They will undergo the name change while a new store concept is being trialled which will see new service formats and the latest in-store technology rolled out. The Lloydspharmacy colours will change from light blue to a grey background and green lettering.
Pilot pharmacies opened in Bicester and Bromsgrove last week in the UK and in Italy. The group will continue to test the concept in Europe next year prior to a roll-out across its 2,200 stores across the continent. Celesio said that the new stores are designed to put customer care at the centre of its proposition featuring health bars, offering higher quality products, consultation rooms and interactive touch screen technology.
Stephan Borchert, member of Celesio’s management board, said of the move: “Under the name of ‘Lloyds’, we wish to establish in the coming years the leading European pharmacy brand. It will stand for pharmaceutical excellence in service, medical advice and product portfolio as well as for a new and positive pharmacy experience on the part of the customers.
“We will strengthen the pharmacy as a multi-functional pharmaceutical service and retail concept.”
Celesio said that the new pharmacies will also simplify their service portfolio by focusing on either ‘skin’ or ‘pain.’ Celesio has identified these as the main reasons for a visit to the chemist though additional areas of focus will be added over time.
Advice begins with analysis using top technology such as digital skin scanners, while compliance management is also a key part of the strategy. In addition, Lloyds will also introduce intelligent stock management systems to simplify the process efforts of its staff. As part of the new network, independent pharmacies will be given the opportunity to partner with Lloyds and use the services either in full or in individual modules.
Borchert explained: “The cooperation partners alone decide whether and to what extent they want to use these services. They are therefore determining the degree of cooperation. With regard to the different national legislative framework of the health systems, the pharmacy network and its modules will be tailored to national requirements.”
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