Blooms The Chemist Burwood, NSW, has taken home the prestigious Store of the Year Award at the group’s recent national conference. The 2023 Partner’s Conference took place in Hobart this year, and saw over 200 delegates in attendance. Pharmacist-owner Zena Daher (pictured) accepted the Store of the Year award, with the win attributed to displaying strong network values, having a positive net profit improvement from the previous year, a low turnover of team members, and high customer service and community engagement scores. Coming in second, Runner-Up Store of the Year was won by Blooms The Chemist Rochedale, Qld. Group CEO Emmanuel Vavoulas remarked that the sessions and awards, “honoured our robust growth strategy that will future proof our network and deliver sustainable financial growth”. The event also saw Blooms Karabar, NSW take home the Dispensary Award; Port Coogee, WA, win the Community Engagement Award; and the valued Customer Service Award went to Yarrawonga pharmacy, Vic. Stephanie Trethewey, journalist and rural motherhood advocate, headlined the conference offering the audience her unique perspective on resilience. Retail experts Profs Lawrence Ring and John Strong delivered expansive sessions covering strategic planning, productivity and excellence in retail. JG