Lloyd’s Pharmacy plans Baby Rooms

Retailer Lloyd’s Pharmacy is planning a nationwide roll-out of Baby Rooms, its store-within-a-store concept, in a bid to extend its mother and baby offering.

The retailer claims this is not an attempt go up against Mothercare, the babywear and children’s wear retailer.

The initiative, aimed at new and expectant mothers, will offer support and advice to customers and involve selling toys, baby clothes and products such as cots and pushchairs. A trial run of Baby Rooms has already begun in some parts of the country.

The rooms will also include trained staff to offer advice on issues such as breastfeeding and baby foods, as well bathing and dressing a baby.

Lloyd’s Pharmacy marketing director Nick Stokes says: “Lloyd’s always had a baby offering in its stores – and it has now extended that. The idea is to extend our services as a community pharmacy and to format the stores according to our customers’ needs.

“Lloyd’s is not in direct competition with Mothercare as it is not a high street retailer. Lloyd’s Pharmacy is a community pharmacy.”

The pharmacy retailer – formerly Lloyd’s Chemists before it was acquired by the European pharmaceutical giant Gehe in 1997 – has 1,300 stores in the UK.