TerryWhite Chemmart
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Queensland, Australia |
Number of locations | 500+ |
| Products | Pharmacy, health and beauty |
Number of employees | 5000+ |
| Website | www |
TerryWhite Chemmart is an Australian pharmacy retailer owned by the Terry White Group.
History
Terry and Rhonda White opened their first pharmacy in Woody Point, Queensland in 1959. Their network of owned pharmacies grew steadily over the years, with the brand becoming well-known and respected in community pharmacy in South East Queensland. In 1994, they established one of the first pharmacy franchises in Australia, providing a comprehensive range of services to franchisees based on their successful retail pharmacy model.
The Terry White Chemists franchise network continued to grow over the next 11 years and, in 2015, the Group became the parent company of the Chemplus brand. This took the total number of franchised pharmacies within the Terry White Group to 225.
In August 2016, the Terry White Group announced a merger with Chemmart, which created a pharmacy chain with over 500 stores nationally and an annual turnover of A$2 billion.[1] All stores have since been rebranded under the new combined chain with a new name, logo and branding. Since the merger, Terry White Chemmart is now the largest pharmacy group in Australia.
Controversy
On 1 December 2016, Terry White Chemists came under fire, after a single franchisee (who is at liberty "stock and sell products at their discretion"[2]), displayed golliwogs underneath a sign reading “Experience a White Christmas”; presumably a pun referring both to the name Terry White Chemists and the popular phrase White Christmas.[3][4] The alarm about the golliwog dolls was raised when Toowoomba man George Helon[5] spotted the dolls placed beneath the sign[6] and posted a picture of it on Facebook[7] and Twitter.[8]
Australian Aboriginal activist, author and filmmaker Stephen Hagan described Toowoomba as the "most racist city in Australia".[9] Terry White Chemists subsequently banned the sale of such dolls from sale from any franchise nationwide, and the franchisee "unreservedly apologised" for the "regrettable error".[10]
References
- ^ "Terry White to merge with Chemmart - Inside Retail". Inside Retail. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "TERRY WHITE CHEMIST UNDER FIRE FOR GOLLIWOG DISPLAY". AJP. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "White Christmas 'golliwog' display labelled racist". The Toowoomba Chronicle. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Queensland chemist under fire for 'racist' golliwog display". Nine News. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "White Christmas 'golliwog' display labelled racist". The Toowoomba Chronicle. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ "Good golli: Dolls returned after 'unfortunate' display lands Toowoomba chemist in hot water". Seven News. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "Offensive 'white Christmas' display sparks calls for Golliwog boycott in Australia". SBS Australia. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "Toowoomba accused by activists of being Australia's most racist city after chemist shop display Offensive 'white Christmas' display sparks calls for Golliwog boycott in Australia". The Courier Mail. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "Toowoomba accused by activists of being Australia's most racist city after chemist shop display". News.com.au. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "Offensive 'white Christmas' display sparks calls for Golliwog boycott in Australia". SBS Australia. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.