York Super IDA Pharmacy

What York Super IDA Pharmacy does

York Super IDA Pharmacy is a family-owned independent retail pharmacy located at 500 Division Street in Cobourg, Ontario, serving Northumberland County since its founding in May 1956 by Seymour Pepper. The business was relocated by its founder from North York to Cobourg shortly after incorporation and has remained under Pepper family control across two generations, with co-owners Dean and Jody Pepper joining the operation in the 1970s. Today the pharmacy operates as a banner affiliate of the IDA Pharmacy Network from a 12,000 sq ft facility, employs approximately eight people, and is open 365 days a year.

The pharmacy operates a multi-department retail and clinical model spanning prescription dispensing (including electronic refills, transfers, automatic refills, and custom compounding), an in-store Health Care Centre offering immunizations, flu shots, travel health consultations, blood glucose monitor training, and private patient medical checks, plus three retail merchandising departments covering cosmetics (L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon), bath and body (Yardley, Taylor's of London, Alpen Secrets), and personal care and hygiene. Ancillary service lines include a full-service Canada Post outlet and a weight management program built around Ideal Protein supplements with advisor consultations. Technology consists of the Telus Pharma Space online platform for prescription refill requests and tracking, a web-based refill form, and the IDA Health Advisor digital patient resource; the pharmacy has no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI systems.

The business generates revenue across five streams: prescription services (covered under provincial drug plans), over-the-counter retail product sales, postal transaction fees, fee-for-service health care, and weight management product sales. Pricing for non-prescription services is paid out-of-pocket or through private insurance. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through a single physical storefront with 365-day walk-in access, supplemented by home-delivered IDA Flyers, in-store signage, and an opt-in email newsletter. Customer loyalty is driven through the Vicinity Rewards program (1 point per dollar, 100 points redeemable for $5 in-store credit) and the IDA network's collective marketing assets.

Name

York Super IDA Pharmacy

Legal name

York Super Pharmacy

Website

https://yorksuperpharmacy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

York Super IDA Pharmacy is a family-owned independent retail pharmacy in Cobourg, Ontario, serving Northumberland County since 1956 under the IDA Pharmacy banner. It dispenses prescriptions and offers immunizations, retail beauty products, a full-service postal outlet, and an Ideal Protein weight management program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Pharmacy

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Community Pharmacies (Chain/Independent) (HLAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pharmacy-Led Health & Wellness Discount Retail (CRAEAHAD)

Keywords

• Retail pharmacy services
• Prescription dispensing
• Health and beauty products
• Postal outlet services
• Weight management program

Headquarters

HQ city

Cobourg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Prescription Services: Filling and dispensing prescription medications, managing prescription history, accommodating prescription transfers, automatic refills, and refill reminders. Also includes medication compounding services for clients unable to swallow pills or children requiring smaller doses.
2. Over-the-Counter Products: Sale of health and beauty products including cosmetics, personal care, bath and body products, vitamins, and health supplements. Brands include L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Yardley, and Taylor's of London.
3. Postal Services: Full-service postal outlet offering Xpress Post, Priority Courier, stamps, parcel sending, money orders, registered mail, and post office box rental.
4. Health Care Services: In-store health clinics, flu shot immunizations, travel health vaccinations, blood glucose monitor training, and private patient medical checks.
5. Weight Management Program: Protein-based meal replacement weight loss program using Ideal Protein products. Customers purchase dietary supplements and receive consultations with weight loss advisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

York Super IDA Pharmacy is a traditional independent community pharmacy that dispenses prescription medications (including transfers, electronic refills, automatic refills, refill reminders, and medication compounding), sells over-the-counter health, beauty, and personal care products from brands such as L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Yardley, and Taylor's of London, operates a full-service Canada Post outlet, runs in-store health clinics and immunizations, and offers the Ideal Protein-based weight management program.

Product overview

York Super IDA Pharmacy is a traditional retail pharmacy offering a comprehensive range of health and beauty products and services. The core offering centers on prescription management including electronic refills, transfers, and medication compounding. The pharmacy operates multiple departments including a Health Care Centre (flu shots, health clinics, blood glucose monitoring), Post Office (mailing and shipping services), and Weight Management Program (protein-based meal replacements). Retail operations encompass Cosmetics (L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon), Bath and Body (Yardley, Taylor's of London, Alpen Secrets), and Personal Care and Hygiene products. The pharmacy also offers a Vicinity Rewards loyalty program and houses exclusive brands including Atoma and Ideal Protein. Digital services include Telus Pharma Space integration for prescription management and online prescription renewal. Founded in 1956 and spanning 12,000 square feet after a 2012 expansion, the pharmacy serves Northumberland County as an IDA-affiliated retailer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prescriptions and Electronic Refills Prescription management service for individual customers including prescription transfers, electronic refills, prescription history management, automatic refills, refill reminders, and custom medication compounding for patients unable to swallow pills or children requiring smaller doses.
• Online Prescription Renewal Web-based prescription renewal service enabling customers to submit refill requests online via a digital form for convenient repeat prescription management.
• Medication Compounding Custom medication compounding service preparing medications into easily ingestible forms for clients unable to swallow pills or children requiring small doses.
• Health Care Centre In-store clinical health services for individual customers including health clinics, flu shot immunizations, travel health vaccinations, blood glucose monitor training, and private patient medical checks.
• Home Health Care Department Department within the pharmacy offering home health care products and services for customers.
• Cosmetics Retail cosmetics and beauty supplies featuring brands such as L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Revlon, including makeup, nail products, and full make-over services.
• Bath and Body Products Retail bath and beauty products including moisturizers, cleansers, and exfoliants featuring brands like Yardley, Taylor's of London, and Alpen Secrets.
• Personal Care and Hygiene Retail daily necessities including toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, bandages, diapers, and allergy relief products.
• Post Office Services Full-service postal outlet offering Xpress Post, Priority Courier, stamps, parcel sending, money orders, registered mail, parcel pickup, and post office box rental.
• Weight Management Program Protein-based dietary supplement weight loss method using Ideal Protein medically developed meal replacements, with consultations from weight loss advisors, designed to maintain stable weight after conventional dieting ends.
• Vicinity Rewards Loyalty Program Customer loyalty program where members earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeemable at 100 points for $5.00 in-store, with 50 bonus points upon sign-up. Excludes prescriptions, lottery, and post office purchases.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Telus Pharma SpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationTelus Pharma Space is an online platform integrated with York Super Pharmacy enabling customers to view their drug profile, request prescription refills, and track prescription status from mobile devices or computers. Customers sign up in-store to access this service.
• IDA Pharmacy NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYork Super Pharmacy operates as an IDA (Independent Druggists Association) pharmacy, part of a banner group of independent pharmacies. This provides access to exclusive brands like Atoma, Health Advisor digital tools, and collective marketing materials including IDA flyers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shoppers Drug Mart: Canada's largest retail pharmacy chain, owned by Loblaw Companies. Directly competes with York Super on prescription dispensing, OTC health and beauty products, in-store clinics, and loyalty (PC Optimum). Most relevant direct competitor given the shared community-pharmacy positioning in Canadian towns.
• PharmaChoice: Canadian banner of independent pharmacies serving small and mid-sized communities. Closely comparable business model — independent ownership, banner affiliation, prescription plus OTC retail — competing in similar Ontario catchment areas.
• Rexall: Major Canadian retail pharmacy chain offering prescriptions, health services, and beauty products. Operates community-format stores that compete head-to-head with independents like York Super across Ontario, including Cobourg-area locations.
• Remedy'sRx: Network of independently owned Canadian pharmacies focused on personalized care. Operates under a banner model comparable to IDA and serves similar small-town demographics with prescription, compounding, and clinical services.
• Guardian Pharmacy: Canadian banner of independent community pharmacies. Operates with a similar franchise-style structure to IDA, offering prescription services, health clinics, and front-store retail — making it a like-for-like comparable for York Super.
• Pharmasave: Canadian cooperative of independent community pharmacies operating under a shared banner with centralized purchasing and marketing — a structural analogue to IDA. Comparable to York Super in store-level services, banner-group economics, and independent ownership profile.

Others

• IDA Pharmacy: The banner network of which York Super is a member. Comparable as the parent/ecosystem entity providing exclusive brands, marketing materials, and digital tools (Health Advisor) used by York Super — more an enabling partner than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Walmart Pharmacy: Mass retailer with in-store pharmacy departments. Competes on prescription pricing and convenience but does not offer the personalized service, postal outlet, or community focus that York Super emphasizes.
• Loblaw Companies: Parent of Shoppers Drug Mart and a major competitor through its grocery-anchored pharmacy strategy (e.g., in-store Loblaws pharmacy locations). Represents the broad-incumbent competitive threat across both pharmacy and retail-grocery channels.
• Costco Pharmacy: Warehouse club pharmacy competing primarily on prescription pricing for members. Operates as part of a much broader retail portfolio rather than as a community pharmacy specialist, but represents pricing pressure in the same catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/york-super-ida-pharmacy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about York Super IDA Pharmacy