In Recognition of Excellence 2015

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Joann Kray’s strong work ethic and creative promotion ideas made her the deserved winner of the Retail Skills Award

Joann, who has enjoyed a 15-year career at Raymond C Hall pharmacy in Hull, East Yorkshire, received a “lovely shock” when she got a call saying she had been shortlisted for the award, which her pharmacist Mr Hall and the pre-registration trainee had initially nominated her for.

It was Joann’s innovative use of retail space to promote health messages and drive sales that really impressed the judges. For example, she once created a display with empty wine bottles and beer cans to demonstrate the number of units in alcohol, as well as handing out alcohol awareness scratch cards to help make customers aware of how much they were drinking. On another occasion, she held a ‘countdown’ to No Smoking Day to encourage smokers to attempt to quit.

“We always make sure customers are aware of their health,” she says. “And I like to make the shop look interesting.”

Judge Leyla Hannbeck, head of pharmacy services at the NPA, was particularly impressed by Joann’s use of displays and scratch cards to promote topics, and planograms to liven up displays, while Deborah Evans, managing director of Balance, noted that Joann “connects with customers, is proactive and engages to support healthy living”.

Besides managing the pharmacy’s retail space and promotions, Joann also delivers prescriptions, carries out healthy heart checks and organises automatic repeat prescriptions for housebound people, and she has built up a strong rapport with her customers. Joann’s loyalty to Raymond C Hall pharmacy is a family affair, as her husband joined the business after she did to deliver prescriptions to housebound patients. “I go out of my way to deliver prescriptions before and after work, whatever the weather. I always go the extra mile; I put myself out,” she says.

But despite all of her hard work and dedication over the years, Joann was bewildered by the recognition of the award, and credits her pharmacist’s support for her success.

“I’ve never won anything before. I get thanked by the pharmacist, but I’ve never been properly recognised,” she says. “If Mr Hall hadn’t helped and guided me over the years, there’s no way I would have won this award. It’s good to know he’s proud of me.”

When reflecting on her long and successful career in pharmacy, Joann explains how continual training is the only way to keep up with the ever-evolving industry, and she is keen to become a Dementia Friend as soon as she can find the time.

She comments: “Training is so important as pharmacy is changing on a day-to-day basis. The more training the better; you should never turn down training.”