The new Super D on Sixth Street is scheduled to open its doors in November, possibly by Thanksgiving, according to Gain Robinson of Stephen L. La France Pharmacy, the parent company of Super D.
The chain retail drug store is moving down the street from its current Plaza Shopping Center location to a spot across from KFC.
Speaking to the Blytheville Rotary Club on Thursday, Robinson said the new Super D store will be 15,000 square feet, more than double the current location's 6,000 square feet. The company is investing $2 million into the new store, which is being financed by First National Bank, Robinson noted.
"It's a much larger store with a much larger selection of over-the-counter goods," he said.
Super D has been at its current spot for more than 20 years. In considering a move off Sixth Street, Robinson said the company looked at some spots on Main Street, before opting to move just down the road.
"It was a pretty easy decision," Robinson said. "The growth in our pharmacy department and in our front end department was always so positive, year in and year out. While we've enjoyed our time at the Plaza Shopping Center, we know that it's a little bit older, and we were doing well inspite of the location. I think that we wanted to stay close to the rooftops, which is real important to us. Convenience is what we really stress in our advertising. We want to make sure we're close to the hospital and the doctors in the area. If you go up and down 6th Street, you'll see a lot of the doctors in the area are around there."
"Obviously we have some other competitors in the area with Rothrock and Owens," he added. "We're friendly competitors with them. They obviously have seen that, that's where the business is to be had. We've looked at some corners on Main Street, but we really felt being back in the community and giving them the alternative to not have to go out to the interstate if they don't have to. Sticking close to you guys was important."
Responding to a question from Rotarian Mason Day about speculation Walgreens was considering a move here, Robinson said, "We've heard that they've (Walgreens) looked up and down Main Street.
"Walgreens is going to do what they're going to do," he said after shaking off the inquiry if Walgreens decided not to come here because of Super D's expansion. "They are good at real estate. They know where to buy. They do all kinds of scientific studies to see where the traffic's coming from. They are the gold standard in being able to buy and develop real estate. Where we can compete with them and beat them at is service... People like Super D and people like Owens and people like Rothrock because of the people in there."
Robinson touted the staff at the local Super D.
"(Store manager) Curtis Walker does such a good job of taking care of the customer," Robinson said. "You can build as pretty a store as you want, and you can put it at the greatest corner that you want, but unless you've got the right people inside, it doesn't make a hill of beans. We've got a great pharmacist in Bruce Baker, and we've got a great front-end manager in Curtis. I think just giving them the tools to excel is going to be a good marriage for us. We're real excited about it."
Robinson noted the new store will have a drive-thru, "the wave of pharmacies now."
The sign will feature an electronic board that announces the store's specials as well as the time and temperature.
The hours of operation and when the store will begin taking applications have not been set yet.
"We're going to do our best to keep the right things the same and make the right changes," Robinson said.
The closest large Super D is in Jonesboro, which is similar to the future Blytheville store expect the local one will not have a gas station. Based in Pine Bluff, Stephen L. LaFrance has over 150 pharmacies in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Besides Super D, company banners include: USA Drug, Ike's Discount, May's Drug Stores, Drug Warehouse and Med-X Drugs.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com