The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Increased competition is the major factor behind ownership's decision to close Super Thrifty Pharmacy, a fixture on Main Street since the 1970s. The store is set to shut down on November 7, a move that will leave about a dozen people out of work, according to Bryan Ferguson, one of the partners who owns the pharmacy chain. "The abrupt changes in buying habits (has) basically made the store unviable," said Ferguson in a phone interview from Brandon, home to the pharmacy chain's headquarters. "It's not a happy time for us, and we hate to ever have to do something like this." Ferguson, who managed the Flin Flon store from 1986 to 1991, said a secondary factor for the closure is a shortage of pharmacists. A lack of pharmacists has already forced ownership to close two stores, located in Winnipegosis, Man., and East End, Sask., respectively. The Super Thrifty Pharmacy chain is made up of about 19 stores across Canada, most of them in Manitoba. Super Thrifty owns the building at 108 Main Street, and Ferguson said the company will attempt to sell it or rent it out.
