Drug Store adapts to new space at Tana Russet Plaza

February 13, 2025 10:09 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Nicholas Mwai.

The Drug Store, formerly located in the Central Business District (CBD) next to Elektro nightclub, has officially relocated to the ground floor of the Tana Russet Plaza Building. 

This move was necessitated by the aftermath of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on December 17 last year, leading to the closure of many businesses in the main town of Port Vila.

The earthquake caused major disruptions, forcing multiple businesses to seek alternative locations to continue operations. Among them was the Drug Store Chemist, which faced challenges in securing a new place to set up while ensuring continuous service to its customers.

Vanessa Pahuyo, the pharmacist of the Drug Store, shared insights into the relocation process and how the business has adapted to the change.

“On January 27, we started to prepare and move the products from our previous location in the CBD and began setting up the shop here,” she stated. “By February 6, we officially opened our doors at our new site. It’s not yet fully operational, so we are calling it a soft opening since some products still need to be stocked and price tags are yet to be placed on all items.”

The new store at Tana Russet Plaza, while functional, comes with both advantages and challenges. Compared to the previous location in downtown Port Vila, the current space is smaller, making product arrangement a bit difficult.

“The challenge is, of course, that space is limited, but we have more products to display, so we are working on making everything fit,” Ms Pahuyo explained. “We have all the medicine available—customers just need to ask if they don’t see something on the shelves. It’s not perfect yet, but we’re still working on getting everything in place.”

Furthermore, the Drug Store is also making some specials for today’s Valentine’s Day. “We have some Valentine’s cards if you want to give your special someone a card, and we are offering a 50% discount on some of the chocolates,” Pahuyo added. 

Despite the constraints, the Drug Store is committed to ensuring that all essential medical products and services are available to its customers at the new location. The team continues to transport remaining products from the CBD store to the new site to complete the transition.