Health Mart hits 2,000-store mark

SAN FRANCISCO Fast-growing retail pharmacy franchiser Health Mart announced today it has hurdled past a significant milestone with the addition of its 2,000 drug store member.

The franchise chain, owned and operated by McKesson Corp., has been on a tear since its re-launch in June, 2006, growing more than 500 percent in the past two-and-a-half years.

Driving growth: the concept’s appeal to hard-pressed independent drug store owners, who look to membership in a franchise network backed by McKesson’s deep pockets, merchandising expertise and business resources to bolster their business amid blistering competition from chain pharmacy retailers.

“Health Mart’s rapid growth is a direct result of what the Health Mart brand has come to represent in the industry,” asserted Health Mart president Tim Canning. “When consumers walk into a Health Mart pharmacy, they know they’re going to receive high-quality, personalized care.”

Programs and solutions developed by the McKesson division “are empowering independents to not only thrive in today’s marketplace, but to set new standards of customer and operational excellence within the industry,” Canning added.

The franchise chain is apparently gaining converts among U.S. consumers: in June, Wilson Health Information ranked Health Mart No. 1 in overall pharmacy customer satisfaction in the 2008 WilsonRx Pharmacy Satisfaction Survey.