Gold Coast’s TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacy in Australia Fair $1m transformation completed ahead of time

The $1 million revamp of an iconic store in the heart of a major shopping centre has been completed, with the new look store to be revealed to the public ahead of schedule. WHEN IT OPENS

TERRYWHITE’s iconic Australia Fair store’s $1 million transformation has been completed ahead of schedule and is set to be unveiled to the public on Monday, September 13.

Heralding an evolution of the cutting-edge concept that saw TerryWhite Australia Fair become a 1990s icon, the new-look pharmacy has been designed to ensure customers can “truly engage” with staff.

While the world-class beauty emporium is still a work in progress, once completed it will feature significant installations for premium cosmetics and skincare brands including Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Clinique, Clarins and new vegan cosmetic range Mellow.

Rhonda White said the transformed pharmacy’s design ensured customers could “truly engage with our pharmacists and other health and beauty professionals in a friendly, welcoming environment”.

The $1 million transformation of TerryWhite Chemmart Australia Fair is completed ahead of schedule.

“Connecting with our customers is so important to us and our staff always have one thing on their mind – how they can help each and every person that walks through the pharmacy’s door,” she said.

“We are focused on providing a wholistic service, especially for those customers at the northern end of the Gold Coast,” said Ms White, a pharmacist and organisational psychologist who’s served alongside husband Terry for 60 years.

Mr White said the rejuvenated pharmacy would be a place where people could feel empowered to take positive steps in managing their own health with the support of our professional team.

HISTORY OF TERRY WHITE CHEMISTS

WHEN Terry and Rhonda White first became pharmacists six decades ago, they never anticipated their innovative ideas and approach to customer care would ignite a desire to franchise hundreds of stores around the country and pave the way for pharmacies throughout Australia.

When Terry married Rhonda in 1961, he had just purchased his first pharmacy at Woody Point on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

They both worked hard growing their business over the next 10 years and their family of five and then decided to pursue further studies – Terry in government and Rhonda in Psychology and Organisational Development.

Terry had a 10-year stint in politics. In 1980, he was a Queensland Cabinet Minister before going on to become leader of the Queensland’s Liberal Party in 1983.

“It was a great honour to be a member of parliament for a decade. It gave me a broad experience across so many issues – at the heart of it, like pharmacy, it’s all about serving the community”.

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“There has been a lot of innovation in our professional careers. We’ve gone from being pharmacists who compounded most products – making ointments, creams and powders to where we are today – there is always a better way”.

When the flagship Terry White Chemists opened its doors in Australia Fair in 1990, the Whites were bombarded with interest in their revolutionary and cutting-edge design.

“There was nothing like it in community pharmacy in Australia,” Rhonda said.

“It was the iconic store that pharmacists would come to from all around Australia to see.

“It was a pharmacy that carried an extensive range of health, wellness, preventive care, fragrance and beauty products, supported by systems and processes that assured a consistent standard of service and care which is still the focus today.

“A pharmacist manager is required to be responsible for what goes on in all parts of the pharmacy at all times.

“As an organisational psychologist it was clear to me that the only way to meet that standard in all our pharmacies was to develop documented systems and protocols by which all must operate.

“Some time in 1993 one of our managers called me to say, ‘I don’t want to manage anymore, I want to buy my own pharmacy, but I want to call it Terry White Chemists’.

Terry White is one of Australia’s household names.

“We had a well- developed format which we knew was of great support and value to pharmacies – so that’s when the franchise began and the brand took off.”

Late in the 1990s, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia realised community pharmacy needed a governance and quality assurance program. Rhonda subsequently gifted the systems manual she had developed for Terry White Chemists to the Pharmacy Guild.

Her pioneering governance provided the beginning of what is now known as the Quality Care Pharmacy Program, the accreditation currently required for the over 6000 community pharmacies throughout Australia.

“Anything we do or have done in our business has been about our wonderful teams who we have worked with,” Rhonda said.

“In those earliest days, the Australia Fair pharmacy team – every staff member- worked with me to develop our philosophies for the business.

“Our people working in those early pharmacies really felt they owned the business, and that built the culture of inclusiveness.

“We were very much a family business and the team knew it when they set down the first philosophy – it’s the people who make the difference”.

Terry White and Australia Fair pharmacy manager Millie Wade. Picture: Tertius Pickard

In March 2021, the couple celebrated 60 years of marriage. Asked about their time working together while maintaining a relationship and having a family, they both admit the first few years were difficult.

“We’ve lived quite long, interesting lives,” Terry said.

“Initially we had a few personality clashes in different areas of the business until we worked out our roles and learned to work cooperatively.

“Rhonda has always been the heart and soul of the brand, while my role was to grow the network.”

Their biggest challenge was managing the financials.

“We were growing at such a rate. When you come from a small business background, no matter how persuasive you may be, it was always very difficult to convince people in the finance world we were bankable,” Terry said.

Pharmacy ownership is highly regulated with pharmacist owners and limited numbers for each owner.

“Our Australia Fair pharmacy has always been important to us because it was our very first on the Gold Coast, and now there’s 500 across the country! It put us on the map nationally

and is where we made the decision to franchise the operation,” Terry said.

Terry White at Australia Fair TerryWhite Chemmart with wife of 60 years Rhonda and long term customer David Simpson.

The TerryWhite Chemmart brand is regarded as one of Australia’s most iconic homegrown businesses. The franchise company is now owned by the EBOS Group and the independently owned pharmacies trade as TerryWhite Chemmart.

Looking ahead at the future, they both laugh when retirement is questioned.

“I think it’s fair to say neither of us believes in complete retirement. We certainly have changed the intensity of what we do and spend more time with our grandchildren who have started out on their own careers doing all sorts of wonderful things,” Terry said.

Throughout the decades, Rhonda and Terry have been applauded for their dedication to the profession of pharmacy and the community.

Both have been granted numerous significant awards, including an Order of Australia for their specific contributions in their areas of specialty and they are lifetime members of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

“Some people believe once you’re in the ageing process, you no longer have anything to offer the community – which is wrong,” said Terry.

“So many aged people have a lot of experience. I believe as you get older, you ought to be able to use what you have learned in life and pass it on.”

Rhonda added: “We have had the privilege of being able to mentor many young people from all areas of business and the professions. We will continue to do so as long as we can.”

$1m revamp of iconic Coast store to spark ‘renaissance’

July 30

THE million-dollar revamp of the TerryWhite Chemmart in Australia Fair is being heralded as the “beginning of another renaissance” of the Southport shopping centre.

Built in 1990 by Rhonda and Terry White, the community pharmacy was the Gold Coast’s first TerryWhite and ahead of its time in regards to what a chemist offered.

Ahead of the build nearly 32 years ago, Mr White said the owners of Australia Fair approached the couple saying a lack of a department store meant they wanted more than just a traditional pharmacy.

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“They wanted a unique offering, including an international cosmetics counter,” he said.

“In that context, we built this incredible community pharmacy that became a focal point for the community. We not only have the largest and biggest offering in terms of products and service but it was the start of a remarkable success story.”

TerryWhite Chemmart now has more than 450 outlets across the country and is one of Australia’s leading retail pharmacy networks.

Despite its size, the Whites say that taking care of people, both customers and those who work in their community pharmacies, is at the heart of their success story.

“We are focused on providing a holistic service, especially for those customers at the northern end of the Gold Coast,” said Mrs White, a pharmacist and organisational psychologist who has worked alongside her husband and brand co-founder for 60 years.

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Mr White said he wanted surrounding retailers and businesses to know that he was investing “seriously” in the Australia Fair store because he had confidence that Southport’s CBD was about to undergo a reinvigoration.

“We’re hoping that this rejuvenation will be the beginning of another renaissance of Australia Fair, because we’ve got great confidence in the future of this centre.

“I know there’s a lot of office spaces empty but the reality is there’s a great future here.”

TerryWhite will remain open throughout the revamp. Pharmacists and healthcare professionals will continue to be available to support customers with their prescriptions, medicines and other retail needs throughout the estimated three-month transformation period, also offering a free home-delivery service in the local area.

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