GERRY TARGETS PRICELINE FOR KIAMA

Gerry McInerney is looking forward to opening a new Priceline store in Kiama.

AFTER 40 years of providing Kiama residents with all their pharmaceutical needs, Gerry McInerneys chemist is about to undergo a radical change.

Doubling the size of the store, Mr McInerney is moving to the Samos Arcade in Terralong Street (opposite the Kiama leagues Club), dropping the Soul Pattinsons name and opening up as a Priceline outlet.

We went to a specialist Sydney accountant to get advice on what was missing down here, he said.

They conducted a survey and found that a lot of residents were after a discount health and beauty store.

We approached Priceline straight away and they seemed pretty happy so we are going ahead with it. We are really delighted with the way it has all panned out.

As well as the introduction of a wider range of cosmetics and health items, Mr McInerney said the extra space of the new store would allow a much larger pharmaceutical dispensary together with an expansion of the packing area.

The increased floor space may also lead to a rise in staffing numbers with Mr McInerney hopeful that the new direction will leave him more time to concentrate on customer needs.

It is hard to say if how many people we are going to need at the moment, he said.

The front of shop will be different because we are going to have a checkout style entry and exit.

However with cosmetics playing such a role within Priceline we might need a cosmetician.

We will just have to suck it in and see how we go once it opens.

I guess staff numbers have probably been the biggest change to the shop over time. Mr McInerney said.

We started with two and now we have 17 permanent and casuals with the potential for more in the new store.

Mr McInerney said council is reviewing the DA for the new premises and while not prepared to provide an exact timeframe for the new store he is hopeful of having business underway in the not too distant future.