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COMPANY TIMELINE

  • 1958-1980's: The Beginning
  • 1990's: Expanding Business Horizons
  • 2000-2001: Reaching a wider community
  • 2002-2005: Automation, Citations, and Innovation
  • 2006-2010: Golden Years
  • 2011-2015: Digital Presence
  • 2016-2019: Gearing Up for the Diamond Celebration
  • 2020: Easing to the New Normal
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1958-1980's: The Beginning

  1. 1st Branch in Dagupan - In March 1958, Dagupan City-based pharmacist Jose “Pepe” Cruz—who was also called Doc—and wife Leila Lagman-Cruz built the first branch of St. Joseph Drug which was named after the patron saint of the couple, St Joseph the Worker and Patriarch. As early as 11 years old, Pepe has been exposed in the management of a drugstore as he was helping out in their familyowned pharmacy. With the birth of his third child, Pepe realized that he had to make a way to augment his income to subsidize the needs of his growing family. Thus, the birth of St. Joseph Drug. The period in which the first store in Dagupan was founded was particularly a difficult time for the people specially in acquiring needed medications. This was a time when quality and affordable medicine was hard to come by. The first St. Joseph Drug store catered not only to Pangasinenses, but also to customers from nearby provinces—as far north as Abra and as far south as Pampanga. With unparalleled customer service being extended by St. Joseph Drug to its patrons which necessitated occasionally opening up in the wee hours of the morning or braving floodwaters to serve those badly needing medication, business expansion was forthcoming.

  2. Two decades and four years after the first store was opened, St. Joseph Drug’s second outlet started operations in its home turf—Dagupan City—in 1982. A third store in the city opened in 1987.
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1990's: Expanding Business Horizons

  1. In 1989, the company decided to venture into a new territory and built its fourth store in Urdaneta, Pangasinan—then nine years away from cityhood, but was already evolving into a commercial business center. This proved to be a sound business move.
  2. One year after the opening of Urdaneta store, the 1990 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit north central Luzon. Dagupan City was one of the worst hit areas. Two of the four St. Joseph Drug stores were severely damaged. Only one Dagupan store survived the earthquake while the Urdaneta store was undamaged. This incident made the Cruz family realize that to best protect the business, they had to expand to areas outside Dagupan.
  3. Another store was added in Dagupan City in 1995—the fourth in Dagupan and making the total store count five.

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2000 – 2001: Reaching a Wider Community

  1. The turn of the millennium marked a significant business move for the company. It has set its target outside Pangasinan and decided to open its first store in Baguio City. Located at the Middle Session, the city’s main thoroughfare and center of commerce, the store started operations in the year 2000.

  2. At the local front, St. Joseph Drug decided to bring its business closer to the people with the operation of its first mall-based store in Magic Mall-Urdaneta also in 2000 bringing the total store count to eight (8).
  3. In the year 2001, the company’s expansion brought it to San Fernando City, La Union.

  4. St. Joseph Drug also received Gawad Botica Sentrong Sigla in 2001.",,'CHD Ilocos - Gawad Botika ng Sentrong Sigla.
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2002 – 2005: Automation, Citations and Innovation

  1. The year 2002 ushered in a business component that paved the way for the company’s preparedness for robust expansion—its in-house enterprise resource planning (ERP) was rolled out. The company opted for an in-house system after trying out a proprietary ERP. For the latter, minor revision took three weeks to fix, too long for a business involved in health care. With St. Joseph Drug’s own ERP, its core business processes were managed and analyzed better. Throughout the years, its ERP would undergo enhancements and updates to better suit the business needs of the company.
  2. In 2004, St. Joseph Drug’s reputation in the pharmacy business was cemented as it was proclaimed as the FIRST Drugstores Association of the Philippines (DSAP) Quality Award National Winner – Chain Store Category.

  3. In March 2005, St. Joseph Drug’s loyalty card program was launched. Named as SJ Greencard, it was the first loyalty program offered by a drugstore which uses a contact-less smart card. Moreover, the card and the points earned do not expire.

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2006 – 2010: Golden Years

  1. Given its growth, the company has moved to a bigger rented warehouse in 2006 to accommodate its growing inventory.
  2. On the company’s 50th anniversary in 2008, store count has already reached 51.

  3. St. Joseph Drug has expanded operations beyond Pangasinan, La Union, and Benguet to include Ilocos Sur and llocos Norte sealing its business stronghold in Region 1.
  4. Philippine Retailers Association’s Outstanding Filipino Retailer Award in 2009, and FDA Quality Seal.

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2011 – 2015: Digital Presence

  1. In 2011, the construction of the St. Joseph Drug Corporate Center—the company’s head office—has started. By this time, the company was already operating 63 stores.
  2. The year 2012 saw an aggressive business move from St. Joseph Drug management. Its expansion roadmap has taken the business to new territories. That year, the St. Joseph Drug brand has penetrated Zambales, Abra, and Isabela.

  3. The company ended 2013 with 73 stores under its operations. Making convenience a part of its customer service.
  4. St. Joseph Drug built its first drive-through store in Urdaneta City, its 83rd outlet. At present, the company has two stores that could accommodate drive-through transactions. It is worthy to note that the only pharmacy offering this kind of service in the entire North Luzon is St. Joseph Drug.
  5. The company also strengthened its digital presence with the launch of its website in 2010.
  6. St. Joseph Drug’s Facebook page was created in 2014 and became one of the most cost-efficient and effective vehicles for brand visibility for the company.

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2016 – 2019: Gearing Up for the Diamond Celebration

  1. In 2016, the St. Joseph Drug administrative staff finally moved to their new home and new head office—the St. Joseph Drug Corporate Center in Tapuac, Dagupan City. The company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2018 and ended the year with 94 stores.

  2. Three years shy of turning 60, St. Joseph Drug revamped its organizational chart with the retirement of its President and founder, Ms. Leila Lagman-Cruz. Ms. Dorothy L. Cruz, former CFO and eldest of the founders’ children, assumed the position of President and CEO.

  3. Short story about the 60th Celebration. Include programs, marketing campaigns, CSR programs.

  4. Launching the SJ SHARES Campaign – Medical Mission serves 1,000 Dagupenos

  5. Takbo Para sa Guro – Run for Cause

  6. 2019 Store opening: Mapandan Branch (******Note: More info will be added.******)
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2020 – Easing to the New Normal

  1. The new decade has brought with it an unforeseen challenge with a huge global impact: the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of St. Joseph Drug’s 2020 plans had to be shelved as the company responded to the call of times. Now more than ever, the health care services the company provides have become more relevant. However, as mobility and accessibility have become a part of the challenges during the pandemic, St. Joseph Drug had to shift its business strategies to address these problems and to deliver uninterrupted service to the communities it serves. Thus the birth of five initiatives: the SJ on Wheels, Call/Text and Pick Up, Roadside Pick Up, SJ Delivery, and its very own online store.
  2. SJ on Wheels is the country’s first mobile drugstore and was launched in April 2020 just when the North Luzon provinces were placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine due to the pandemic thus effectively rendering thousands of people confined to their homes. It was the perfect time to launch a mobile pharmacy. SJ on Wheels carries a comprehensive inventory of often-bought medicines and other basic needs. Manned by a pharmacist and pharmacy assistants, it is operated like a regular pharmacy where customers can get free counseling from the store’s pharmacist. It rolls to towns and barangays lacking pharmacies, making it easier for the community to refill prescription and purchase other healthcare needs.

  3. The Call/Text and Pick Up service allows customers to skip the line thus saving time. This has become more relevant as people avoid staying out for a long period of time. A customer only needs to send a text or call the branch number to indicate his/her order and pick up the same without falling in line.

  4. The Roadside Pick Up works like the Call/Text and Pick Up with added convenient service: the customer need not leave his/her vehicle as the pharmacy assistant would bring the order to the customer’s vehicle.

  5. From Bricks to Clicks, St. Joseph Drug.com - Being in the healthcare business for more than 60 years, St. Joseph Drug is committed to continuously innovate in order to better meet the evolving needs of the families and communities we serve especially in these trying times. As the need for convenient and safe pharmacy transactions has become more pressing, the drugstore has decided to launch its very own online store in order to rise up to the occasion and deliver what its customers mostly need.

  6. SJ Delivery with St. Joseph Drug’s brand promise, it the company mission to offer innovative and reliable services to every family's health care needs. Recognizing the challenge in mobility and health care accessibility during these trying times, the drugstore introduced a new initiative to its portfolio of services: the SJ Delivery. This service placed health care fulfillment right at the fingertips of the customers as they only need to call in their orders and they will be delivered right at their doorsteps. True to St. Joseph Drug’s brand of quality health care service, the pharmacy’s specially trained staff will ensure a fast and reliable delivery.

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