Bank St. - A popular Bank Street Shoppers Drug Mart is facing an uncertain future as they compete with a recently opened Shoppers Drug Mart across the street. Sitting roughly 50 feet away from the current Shoppers Drug Mart, the new, larger Shoppers Drug Mart has managed to steal business away from the original Shoppers Drug Mart with brighter lights, a bold cosmetic department and refrigerated grocery items. The original store also carries the same, but the newer store has a fresher scent and more attentive staff.
General Manager of the older store, Dudakar Mundaki, says the new store has taken away approximately 75% of his business, and could possibly force his store to upgrade to the brighter lights and cleaner scent. "I know it's the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation mandate to have a store located every half kilometre in Ottawa, but I had no idea I would be losing this much customer traffic." Mundaki remarked. His store opened in 2010 after the original Teasel's Apothecary was demolished at the current location, and the new store across the street was opened in February 2011, on the site of another neighbourhood family pharmacy business that had been there for over 100 years.
The new Shoppers Drug Mart, managed by Halal Yemala, has already seen a steady stream of new customers add to their profits, with most purchasing cosmetics for no apparent reason when they walk into the store. "I had some girl in a lab coat forcibly apply lipstick to me, and now I'm walking away with $150 worth of make-up when all I went in for was a carton of milk." explained excited customer Ruth Jenner, who usually shops at the older store across the street. "I just like this Shopper's better because I usually walk on this side of the street." Jenner answered when asked why she chose the newer store.
Plans are already underway for a third Shoppers Drug Mart to open underground in 2012, between the two existing Shoppers, with access through a manhole in the middle of the street.
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