LONDON — Last year, the head office team of rapidly growing pharmacy franchise The Local Choice held a local SleepOut™ in its Delmas HQ. It was such a success that the company has gone up a level this year by inviting its 80 franchisees to join in. Rachelle Campbell explains why she thinks most of them will do so – and issues a challenge to Dis-Chem bossman Ivan Saltzman to pick up the baton and join the join CEO SleepOut™ at Liliesleaf on July 11. – Alec Hogg
Well, it’s a little different, this update of the CEO SleepOut™. We’re going to be talking to Rachelle Campbell who’s with the Local Choice.
The Local Choice is a fascinating operation. It started in Delmas in 2011. It’s now grown to the point of 80 different franchising stores and the way they work is bring together like-minded pharmacists, the old chemists from my youth and put them together into a buying organisation that has similar values. They say they only want independents and people who think the way that they do about wellness and by improving the lives of people in their communities.
This year the Local Choice is challenging all of its franchisees, all 80 of them to come together at Delmas on the 20th of July associated with the whole CEO SleepOut™. They’ve done it once before, they did it last year when the head office staff alone raised R50,000. They’re hoping to raise quite a bit more than that. Well, we’ll hear from Rachelle Campbell in a moment, but this is an initiative that perhaps other companies can learn from too.
Let’s pick up the story now with Rachelle Campbell who’s with the Local Choice.
Unfortunately, some of our branches, which are in rural parts of South Africa, won’t be able to attend, but our closest branches in Mpumalanga and also in Gauteng. I actually have two franchises coming from Durban specifically to attend this years’ event.
How many franchisees in total do you have?
Eighty stores, franchisees.
Of them, how many do you think are going to be there?
Well, we hope that 70% of them will attend, but we’ll see. They saw the photos of last year and they were pretty impressed. I’m sure that it’s going to be a great turnout this year.
This is on the 20th of July. It’s an initiative that the Local Choice has put together to align itself with the CEO SleepOut™, particularly this year because Nelson Mandela’s involved.
Definitely, Madiba has left a huge legacy in many people’s lives; especially our lives and we incorporate his values and his legacy with our work. Therefore, there are two main reasons. It’s because of Madiba’s legacy and obviously doing good for our community because that is what the Local Choice is all about, contributing towards our community. Well, the franchisees didn’t participate last year. To see the head office team participating last year is a huge motivator to them and I’m sure that that’s going to push them to participate this year. They’ve seen the remarkable difference we’ve made in many orphan babies’ lives. It was inspiring for them, and I’m sure that it will motivate them to participate this year.
Do you have any idea how much money you’ll raise?
We’re pushing for R50,000. Last year we were close to R50,000, so definitely this year we’ll be challenging all the franchisees, which will be a big contribution. I’m not going to put any number on it now, but I’m sure that the franchisees will always come to the party and participate.
Have you earmarked any beneficiaries?
We’ve earmarked two beneficiaries in Mpumalanga and we’ll see how it goes. We haven’t set that in stone. At the end of the day, we will be contributing to the lives of the beneficiaries.
Just tell us a little about the relationship with Dis-Chem because there’s a challenge there too.
The Local Choice is doing the initiative independently and we always support the locals or Dis-Chem as well with their initiatives. For instance, this month we’re running the One Million Comforts Campaign in collaboration with Dis-Chem and that’s also a big charity drive nationally.
Is Dis-Chem going to be participating in the CEO SleepOut™, in other words at the main event at Lilliesleaf?
I’m not sure, I will have to find out, and I will also challenge the CEO.
Okay, well, that’s good. You know often when you just throw something out there you do get some interesting responses.
Definitely.
So it’s a small beginning, something that you guys decided on last year. What did you take home from it then?
Well, I can tell you one thing, I have a newfound respect for homeless people because sleeping outside, we had cardboard boxes, yes, we had a lot of blankets and we were dressed warmly, but there are people out there that aren’t privileged to have the millions of blankets around them and the warm clothes. That’s why we always strive to give back to the community that is not privileged like us.
Unpack that for me, “Newfound respect”, what do you mean by that?
I’ve never known that sleeping outside could be so challenging. That was one evening for us to sleep outside and the cold just hits you from all sides. The minute you move because you’re uncomfortable where you sleep, it just knocks you from another side. It is extremely cold and I really don’t know how they do it day-in, day-out to sleep outside in the cold weather without a roof over their head or a warm bed to sleep in.
Did you sleep much?
No, not much, it was really uncomfortable and really cold, but it ran through our heads the whole time, the cause of it and why we’re doing it and we pushed through. We had lots of fun that evening, no, we didn’t sleep much, it was very uncomfortable although we did try, but yes, that’s why we’re doing it again this year, to make us humble again and to appreciate the small things that we have in live.
Rachelle, there are some people who criticise the CEO SleepOut™. They say, “Well, it is only one day in a year and actually it’s almost to salve your conscience”. How would you react to that?
The one evening just opens up your eyes to the things around you. Yes, it’s just one evening, but it’s enough to make you realise what most people in South Africa go through that live in poverty and it’s that one evening that makes a huge difference in many people’s lives.
You now can empathise better.
Definitely, it made me more humble, it made me appreciate the small things that we take for granted every day in our lives like sleeping in a warm bed or having a pair of slippers on and just having a roof over your head to be honest.
The local Choice has been growing rapidly. You’re at 80 stores at the moment; you’re going up to 120 stores perhaps in the next year. Does that bring unique challenges to your executive team?
Definitely, as we grow as a group, we have to grow as a head office as well to keep on par with the excellent service that we offer to our franchisees. The Independent Pharmacy Group has its own challenges and to join a franchise or a corporate group like ourselves just gives you that little boost of competitive edge in the market as well, so yes, indeed, we are expanding as a group and as a head office team as well.
Are you the biggest business in Delmas?
No, actually CJ Distribution who started the Local Choice is.
Okay, so Delmas has these two big giants, I’m sure because it’s not a very big town.
No, it’s not and it’s quite funny when our suppliers come out to Delmas, I keep on telling them you don’t need a passport, it’s just 30 minutes drive from Johannesburg, but the quiet little town is also a huge benefit for us at the head office team to focus. Driving out against traffic your mind’s cleared and it does have its advantages as well.
Does the company get involved in the local community?
Definitely, the Local Choice always encourage maximum community participation because apart from getting people outdoors and increasing their fitness levels, which contributes to their healthy lives, this event and also many other events that we host for the local community will have a positive impact on people’s lives.
If I go into the Local Choice pharmacy in my area, say in Northern Johannesburg I’m likely to find somebody who’s been in the business for a long time, he’s just changed the branding perhaps?
Yes, the one benefit, the one thing that stands out in all of our pharmacies that I’ve picked out myself is every pharmacist knows their customer. They will know Mrs Johnson, they will know Mr van Breed, they will know their allergies, their family supplements, and so it’s a personal touch that we offer. You don’t feel like a number when you walk into our pharmacies. It’s easy access and our skills and services are excellent and obviously being part of Dis-Chem we offer better cost on our products as well.
Is that the main advantage then for a pharmacist, they already have the relationship with the community, but to be part of a much bigger buying operation?
Yes, and one other big benefit or advantage that we have is our clinics. Some of our pharmacies are in rural areas and offering our healthcare services to the community is a big advantage as well and it adds value to the people that commute far to public clinics. We offer basic healthcare services in our clinics.
Rachelle, this year’s CEO SleepOut™ is named after Nelson Mandela, given that this is his centenary year, he would’ve turned 100 on the 18th of July, what does that name mean to you?
Well, the one thing that really stands out for me is what we as the Local Choice head office live by is, “Nothing is impossible until it’s done”. Yes, we do have many challenges within our group, within the industry as well, but looking at Madiba’s legacy that he left behind, surely, we push by saying, “Nothing is impossible until it’s done”.
Well, it hasn’t got the cover of Johannesburg, so you can be almost certain that on the 20th of July those franchisees from the Local Choice who will be sleeping out in Delmas might get a little colder than those of us who are going to be around on the 11th. Of course, the 20th of July is also a bit closer to the middle of winter, isn’t it? It’s an interesting initiative and we heard there from Rachelle Campbell.
Until the next time, cheerio.
