12 - PRAIRIE POST - Friday, May 8, 2015


Best of Swift Current


Pharmasave has the right prescription for how to do business in Swift Current


Pharmasave is one of those fixtures in Swift Current that every community needs. They do everything. It’s a solid corporate citizen, it’s a place where people can purchase tickets for a variety of entertainment events and oh yeah, it’s a pretty darn good pharmacy too as voted on by Prairie Post’srecent business survey. For the second consecutive year, Pharmasave earned Best Pharmacy in the Best of Swift Current survey. Owner/Managing Partner of Pharmasave 406 is Jahnaya Mann who been running the operation since taking over in 2009 after nine years as a staff pharmacist with Pharmasave. Her front store manager is Shar Nickol who helps lead approximately 75 employees.


Mann is pleased to learn of earning the top pharmacy honours. She says it lets the team know their diligence and efforts are appreciated. “We are delighted and honoured. There is no greater reward than to know the real owners of your business, the customers, are happy and satisfied with your service and that they also think we are the best in our field,” explains Mann. “We work really hard to make sure that our customers are treated like friends and family in our store. We base all our business standards on what they need and desire. “Winning a second time is a feather in our cap. Our wonderful team of employees consider it the greatest honour to know that we have served our customers well. This is probably the most honest feedback you can get as a business owner. We are thrilled to be nominated and to win again lets us know that we are serving our customers in the way that they deserve. The feeling is mutual for this award, we also feel like we have the Best of the southwest in our customers. They are the best.”


Customer service and perfection


when it comes to health products and prescriptions are critical in ensuring clientele are satisfied. Pharmasave has been in business since 1964 and a Chamber member as long as Mann can recall.


Mann explains the profession of pharmacy is changing rapidly. She says new added service innovations can take advantage of a pharmacist’s full skills allowing them to meet patient needs when they most require it. “There are an increasing number of ailments that pharamacists are qualified to treat with prescription medications that in the past patients had to see a doctor for, but can now have a pharmacist’s expertise applied. “There are increasing opportunities for patients to have personal time with the pharmacist to share important information regarding their drug therapy,” says Mann. “Being the 2015 PAS (Pharmacists’ Association of Saskatchewan) Professional Service Award winner is testament to the fact that we are committed to being early adapters of new services and we have a focus on being your guide in getting you the health-care services you need.” She also says giving back to the community through donations of time (volunteering) and money are core values in the company and they are always searching for new ways to meet needs in the community for those who need help. However, it’s those extra wrinkles and


innovations which add to the Pharmasave brand. Mann says it’s important to always have an eye on anything that can affect business. One has to pay attention so he or she can adapt to the changing times and keep the business flourishing. By keeping the business profitable, it allows the owners to give back to the community that supports them which is


Photo contributed Pharmasave staff are happy to serve Swift Current and southwest Saskatchewan.


one of the most rewarding parts of being in business. Therefore, change and additions are important. “Adding Starbucks to our location has brought a big-city feel to a small community. Our store is a gathering place for people to meet, connect and share,” explains Mann. “Our front store is a collection of unique finds and specialty items as well as all of the basics you would expect in a great drugstore. Our pharmacy and pharmacy team are cutting edge and innovative and responsive to the needs of the patients they serve. “We are always striving to be unique and different than what people are used to. There are always new products added from gift shows in Toronto and on-line finds. Our customers know they need to stop in regularly to see all the new surprises that arrive daily. As a company we are always evolving.” They have ensured Swift Current customers are satisfied, but have also gone outside the city borders as well.


“We consider our customers not just the residents of Swift Current, but those that live in the rural and surrounding areas. On that basis we reached out to the community of Ponteix and opened a satellite pharmacy there that provides pharmacy services to that community two days a week and pharmacy services to Foyer St. Joseph in Ponteix. We truly care about you and your loved ones. Our focus is on wellness and helping you live your best life now.” Mann is grateful she is in Swift Current and loves being in Saskatchewan. “The Great Southwest is a very vibrant area of our province. The unique collection of people allows for a vast array of products and services to meet their needs,” she says. “It is a very forward- thinking community and is not just accepting of change, but expecting of it. We love our customers and know that we are nothing without them. We feel honoured to be a part of the amazing business community and honoured to serve our great customers.”


Unforgettable You prides itself on selection


It’s said selection is the spice of life, and that’s the case for Jessica Adam, owner of Unforgettable You in Swift Current. She prides herself on the wide selection of clothing — especially gowns and bridal attire — she can offer her customers. Unforgettable You was chosen Best Clothing Store in this year’s Best of Swift Current online contest sponsored by the Prairie Post. Adam, who employs three people on a part-time and casual basis and is a Chamber member, says the win shows her she is doing a good job. “I like to think we won because people have come to know our excellent customer service, amazing selection and reasonable prices,” she adds.


In business for four years, when she first opened, a bride inquired about how many sizes Unforgettable You carried. The bride had spoken to six different salons and even been told by one to come back after she had lost weight. Adam was horrified as she believes shopping for a wedding or grad gown should be a positive experience. “Every bride is treated to a one- on-one shopping consultation with someone who knows our gowns and can help guide them to a dress that will look amazing,” she adds.


“That ‘small-town’ service, combined with our ‘big-city’ selection has drawn brides and grads from, not only the local community and surrounding area, but also as far away as Winnipeg and Edmonton.” Unforgettable You boasts almost 200 bridal gowns and more than 100 grad gowns in sizes 00 to 30. Also available are sizes extra small to four XL in cocktail dresses and day wear. “Our focus is not on the sale, it is on making sure our customers feel beautiful in what they purchase, no matter the size of the budget or the dress. Every woman deserves that,” adds Adam. Part of running a successful business is marketing and Adam works to get her message out about the store’s selection. In February she launched the phone App “Unforgettable You” available on Google Play and iTunes. The App shows a full inventory of the in-stock bridal and bridesmaids gowns and the hope is eventually it will show all of the store’s merchandise. “We hope that this app, combined with our online presence, will help make people more aware of how much we have available right here in Swift Current,” says Adam. It has been an enjoyable process for Adam to get to know the clients


who have found her store and browsed the selection. Many day wear customers return often as they trust the store’s staff to suggest items they may not have tried themselves. “Because we’ve gotten to know them we can make some great recommendations to go with things we know they already have,” adds Adam.


Repeat business means families


have shopped for a grad gown and then returned for the bridal selection when the older daughter is getting married or brides return because they are bridesmaids in other weddings. Adam also helped many young girls select outfits for the Royal Ball held in Swift Current earlier this year and she looks forward to seeing them again for their graduations and weddings. “Once people in the community


know you are truly invested in great customer care they welcome and support you,” she points out. Adam believes the future is bright in Swift Current and her business will be able to grow in the coming years. “People here have a strong sense of community. They know that if you want a business to succeed in smaller communities like ours, you need to support them,” she adds.


Photo contributed


Unforgettable You has a wide selection of women’s clothing for all shapes and sizes.


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