London Drugs
Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Retail |
Founded | 1945; 79 years ago (1945) |
Founder | Sam Bass |
Headquarters | Richmond, British Columbia |
Area served | British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba |
Products | Electronics, grocery, pharmaceuticals, health & beauty, photofinishing, insurance services, furniture, toys, optical, housewares, and tech services including Apple Authorized Service Provider. |
Owner | H.Y. Louie Co. |
Website | www |
London Drugs is a Canadian retail pharmacy chain based in Richmond, British Columbia. As of June 2021, the chain has 78 stores in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.[1] In addition to pharmacy services, London Drugs locations also sell electronics, housewares, cosmetics, and a limited selection of grocery items.
History
London Drugs was founded by Sam Bass in 1945 as a small drugstore at 800 Main Street in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] Bass named his drugstore after the English city of London, the seat of the Canadian monarch.[3]
In 1968, London Drugs was sold to Daylin, Inc. The next year, Daylin ran into financial difficulties in the US branch of its business, and decided to put London Drugs up for sale. In 1976, the business was acquired by the H.Y. Louie Group under the direction of President Tong Louie.
Tong Louie expanded the company within BC and, for the first time, beyond the provincial border into Alberta with the first Edmonton location in 1976. In the next ten years, London Drugs tripled its number of stores.
During this growth, the company also began increasing the types of products available in stores. Small kitchen appliances, high end cosmetics and high quality photo equipment quickly became staple items lining the shelves.
In 1981, London Drugs expanded into another non-traditional drugstore category by installing its first One-Hour Photofinishing labs. The introduction of photofinishing labs into the store and the one-hour-photo revolution paved the way for London Drugs' introduction of a computer department in 1983.
In 2004, the St. Vital Shopping Centre in Winnipeg became the new home to London Drugs' first (and still only) Manitoba store.
Today, London Drugs has stores in more than 35 major markets throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. According to their website, as of September 2019, they operate 82 stores. In addition to pharmacy, other major goods offered include cosmetics, small appliances, electronics, cameras and photo finishing, toys and food. London Drugs serves more than 45 million customers each year.
In January 2019, London Drugs acquired the Edmonton-based photography chain, McBain Camera.[4]
On April 28, 2024, London Drugs closed all stores nationwide until further notice, citing an apparent "cybersecurity incident". No customer data was compromised, but critical data infrastructure is being audited and rebuilt. Urgent pharmacy care remains available, and Canada Post bureaus at its locations resumed operations on May 2.[5][6]
Brands
London Drugs markets its own brand of products and services under the following labels:
Name | Type of Product |
---|---|
London Drugs | Health Products, Furniture, Home ware, Food |
London Naturals | Vitamins and Medicines |
London Home | Furniture, Dinnerware |
Certified Data[7] | Computers |
Tree Frog | Computer Accessories |
London Premiere | Cosmetic Products |
London Plantation | Nuts |
LD Insurance[8] | Insurance Services |
London Spa[9] | Spa Services |
CustomWorks[10] | Entertainment System Installation |
TLD Computers[11] | IT Equipment and Services |
Locations
Of the chain's 78 stores, most are located in British Columbia, 37 of them in Vancouver and the surrounding area. There are also 20 stores in Alberta, 5 in Saskatchewan, and 1 in Manitoba.
References
- ^ "London Drugs: Store Locator". www.londondrugs.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "Sam Bass". Jewish Independent. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "The Story of London Drugs". London Drugs. London Drugs. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Cook, Dustin (January 12, 2019). "Edmonton's storied McBain Camera snapped up by London Drugs, will continue to operate independently". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ^ "'Cybersecurity incident' leads to closure of London Drugs stores in western Canada". Global News. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "London Drugs reopens phone lines and Canada Post outlets". CBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Certified Data
- ^ LD Insurance
- ^ "London Spa". londondrugs.com.
- ^ CustomWorks
- ^ TLD Computers
External links
- Official website
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