Meet Your Merchant - Pemberton Pharmacy

Name Of Business:
Pemberton Pharmacy & Gift St Michaels
Location: 
204 S Talbot St, St Michael, MD 21663
Website: www.facebook.com/pembertonstmichaels
Phone number: 410-745-8382
Hours of operation: Winter M-F 9-6, Sat 9-5
Summer M-F 9-7 Sat 9-7 Sun 10-6

Pemberton Pharmacy ribbon cutting 2014

 Who are the owners?  I’m the owner, Craig Schury, RPh but it’s really my entire work family that has helped made these stores special. St. Michaels very own Kim Holden Johnson (she grew up here) and Angie Gore do most of the gift buying. My son Willhelps run the store in the summer.  Courtney Hope, our pharmacy technician knows this place all too well, she spent much of her youth across the street at her father’s and grandfather’s shop, Hopes Hardware.

How and why you started your business?   I started my business 7 years ago in Salisbury by purchasing land and building my first store. Prior to that I had been a pharmacist for 20 years with Thrift Drug and Eckerd & I felt it was time to branch out on my own. I was confident I could do it better, give great service , be community minded and make a difference local at the local level. I’ve always loved St. Michaels, and when I found out the medicine shop was closing, I just knew it was the right opportunity! We completely renovated the interior making it larger and easier to shop. We kept a few very important things to the shop and community; the painting across the front of the store, and the side door that the locals use.  Besides loving everything about St. Michaels, we wanted to fill the need in the community for a pharmacy.  We live in the 21st century, people shouldn’t have to travel to another town to get a prescription filled. Now there really is no need to leave this little slice of heaven. 

Pemberton Pharmacy wide array of vitamins

What do you sell/make/do?   First and foremost, we are a full service pharmacy - meaning we can fill any prescription or OTC request. We also stock and have on the floor a full assortment of OTC medications and vitamins. We accept all insurances, offer many types of immunizations, MTM (medication therapy management) counseling, and medication simplification packaging.  We offer free delivery, curbside pickup, and fast, easy filling of all your prescriptions including transfers from other pharmacies. It's all about making it easy for our customers by making it easy to fill, pickup and take medication. Our pharmacists, myself, Matt Balish and Abby Horseman are always available for questions and consultations.

Housewares and Rise Up Coffee 

Our gift store is beautifully laid out with a wonderful assortment of gifts for all occasions. We do on site monogramming for items purchased in the store or elsewhere. Our unique sundries include apparel, accessories, beach goods, skincare, candles, pet speciality items, baby and mens gifts. There is something for everyone! We also have a wide selection of greeting cards, giftwrap & stationary, and provide free gift wrapping on in store purchases.

We just started offering the full line of Bare Minerals, the most renowned mineral make up and skincare line. There is always someone in the store who has been professional train by Bare Minerals to assist with color matching, application, and choosing the best product. In addition, we also offer other cosmetics lines, implements, skin care and nail polish. We have everything to help you look your best. 

Pemberton Pharmacy now carries the full line of Bare Minerals

Where is your business located and why did you chose your location?   We are in the heart of St Michaels at 204 S Talbot St right next to the municipal parking lot. We chose the location because of ease of access, being in the middle of town and the free municipal parking. We also liked the building, the ability to open up the space to accommodate the pharmacy, OTC and gift area into one big beautiful space. Plus, the landlord, Don Young was willing to spruce up the exterior with a coat of paint, new windows and a general cleanup of the outside of the building.

What strategies do you use to draw people to your establishment?    We are currently using many methods of advertising and promotion. The best promotion is word of mouth, taking care of your current customers and being active in the community. We love to promote the store in community events with sponsorship, advertisements and merchandise for silent auctions. We have an active Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pembertonstmichaels) to introduce new merchandise, go over specials, promote events and give information about the store, health and the pharmacy. We advertise occasionally in the Star Democrat, Attraction Magazine and What Up Eastern Shore.

Pemberton Pharmacy St. Michaels location
celebrated their Grand Opening Oct 2014

What is your strategies for growth in the next year?   Our plan is to continue to improve the store with new and exciting merchandise, expanded product lines, even better service and continuing to partner with the community. We are always looking for new products and opportunities to expand the business, like the addition of Bare Minerals. We are going to get the word out about our delivery program and curbside pickup, especially in the busy tourist season.

What is the best thing about running a business here?    The community here is wonderful. It's very family oriented and everyone is friendly and inviting. There are so many community events and the town really puts a lot of effort into supporting everyone in the town including the local businesses. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a close knit, family oriented community.