In 1968, Murray and Pam Guy, a young couple with a bright future decided to pack up their life in Auckland and make a go of it in, what was then, a small town called Papakura and start a business.
Who would have thought, that what they created would still provide the people of Papakura with a level of service, professionalism and care second to none and now run by son Michael and Tony Easteal would be celebrating their 50th year in business.
The Guys certainly had a lot of retail experience under their belts, however the decision to run a business could make or break them. "At the time, there were about five other pharmacies in the region, so the competition was strong," says Pam. They were lucky enough to secure the pharmacy site in a new development in Roselands and moved to Papakura once settled to reduce their travelling time.
At the beginning, the shop, which was known as Guys Pharmacy sold the bare essentials; however it wasn't long before the business had developed quite a following, thanks to a friendly attitude. "We have always put a lot of effort into making our staff happy and having a positive vibe; I think that has been part of our success".
The couple fully retired in 2001, having sold half the business in 1987 to Tony Easteal and then the remaining in 2001 to son Michael. A qualified pharmacist, he returned home from working overseas to take up the opportunity. Now in 2018, he continues to oversee what is now a thriving hub of family run health expertise rebranded to be part of the Life Pharmacy branding.
“We are still very focussed on family friendly, customer service and that goes a long way to gaining our valued customer’s trust” says Michael.
The pharmacy is the only one, out of the original six in the area, to remain in original family ownership and now fifty years later, still employs a loyal base of staff members, some of whom have left to have families and come back to work once their children have started school.
Guys Life Pharmacy offers the largest range of vitamin and natural health products in Papakura with knowledgeable staff trained to help. They have the region’s sole Elizabeth Arden counter, and are also stockists of Revlon and L’Oréal cosmetics and skincare ranges Avene, Trilogy, La Roche-Posay, Moisture Mist, to name but a few.
So, whether you are a lifetime customer or a new one wanting to share in the celebrations, pop in to Life Pharmacy in Roselands Shopping Centre, Papakura, this month. There will be some fantastic November offerings including: 1 gift basket for a lucky customer drawn every day for the 1st two weeks of November and 30% off EVERYTHING in store (excluding prescriptions) on Thursday 15th November. Other fabulous specials occurring right throughout November.
Come and celebrate the 50th birthday of Guys Life Pharmacy Papakura!.
Don’t forget your Living Rewards loyalty card! You can contact the team at the Papakura Life store on (09) 298 5615.