GRAHAM Henry’s pharmacy door closed for the final time on Monday, marking his last day of business after 37 years.
A merger between Reeves Rd Medical Centre and the Pakuranga Plaza Medical Centre last month means Mr Henry has been forced into an early retirement. But the 68 year-old pharmacist says he sheds no bitterness on the matter and it’s all part and parcel of owning an independent business.
“It’s a typical trend for the whole of normal commerce.
“It’s something you just have to do, but the timing is not always in your own hands,” says Mr Henry.
He says much has changed since opening his business in April 1971.
“At that stage everyone around here was all your family. The cows were still walking across Ti Rakau Road (Drive), there was no Highland Park or Beachlands,” recalls Mr Henry.
The biggest change he has experienced over the years has been the impact of immigration on small local businesses in terms of the number of overseas’ pharmacists in the industry and changing clientel.
Mr Henry considers himself one of the few “dinosaurs” left in the pharmacy industry.
The secret to his longevity as a local pharmacist Mr Henry says is due to his philosophies on customer values.
He says the saddest thing he has witnessed over the years is the erosion of the community connection.
“I always ran this business as a community pharmacy where people matter the most, not numbers. And that is changing,” says Mr Henry.
Referring to himself as a “sink”; single-income-no-kids, Mr Henry says the customers have been like family, ensuring he’s never lonely.
He says he has enjoyed the community closeness and while he’s sad to say goodbye he’s excited about “having a holiday and playing golf”.
Good friend Peter Menzies of Peter Menzies Pharmacy in Howick says the changing demographics of east Manukau makes it harder to remain an independent entity.
He says Graham, like himself isn’t your average chemist and it’s having a good sense of humour and diverse interests that keeps his business alive.
He says he is constantly having to “re-invent the wheel” to keep attracting customers.
While Mr Menzies says he can still see himself in business in five years time, he acknowledges the threat of bigger companies that are dollar driven. “The government don’t like the chemist. We are the poorest of the medical sector without a doubt.
“I never thought I’d see a social welfare system get to this point,” says Mr Menzies.
Mr Menzies says the ramifications of the medical hierarchy means a lot of highly skilled people are moving to Australia and the “old school” professionals like Graham Henry are pushed out of business. “We are becoming more unique. Our genuine interest is the people and there’s not many of those guys left,” says Mr Menzies.
