Wasem's has same soul, new features
Mar. 20—Wasem's Pharmacy & Home Medical co-owner Lisa Floch Byers sent her husband to liquor stores throughout the region at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to hunt for bottles of Everclear.
The potent alcohol wasn't for personal use. It was a key ingredient in the hand sanitizer the pharmacy was compounding at a time of extreme shortages.
Wasem's used the hand sanitizer in its own operations to help prevent the spread of the illness. It also gave away or sold the hand sanitizer to groups such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley and nursing homes, keeping the price as low as they could.
"We tried to meet the need as quickly as possible," said Wasem's co-owner and pharmacist Cindy Wendt Wyatt.
Understanding how hand sanitizer could help the community function during a pandemic and finding an economical way to supply it reflects the business strategy of Byers and Wendt Wyatt, who have owned Wasem's since 2016.
They strive to provide the friendly service that has been the cornerstone of the business for more than a century as they balance philanthropy with maintaining a healthy bottom line.
Especially since the pandemic hit, they have been forced to make a series of difficult choices, dictated by an unpredictable business climate.
Among them have been focusing on the traditional services of Wasem's pharmacy instead of administering COVID-19 vaccines; suspending a beloved but unprofitable coffee shop; and expanding the selection of toys, puzzles and games in its gift department.
"That's one thing that I'm the most proud about with our employees is their ability to adapt to change, which is very hard," Byers said.
Figuring out the right approach isn't always straightforward. Take COVID-19 immunizations. Wendt Wyatt repeatedly attempted to obtain the vaccines.
"It was an avenue we tried to get set up, but every time I tried to order (COVID-19) vaccine, they would never send me any," Wendt Wyatt said. "They would just tell me it was out. ... So I got discouraged and I just kept moving on with what we were doing."
What Wasem's does is unique and meets specific demands in the market.
"One of the (things) customers say they're grateful for is that we remember their names," Wendt Wyatt said. "They're not treated just like a number. They really appreciate that we know who they are. That means a lot to people."
When COVID-19 restrictions were in their strictest phases, Wasem's was doing flu, shingles and pneumonia shots curbside.
Wasem's delivers many of the purchases from its pharmacy and home medical departments to the homes of its customers.
One of the pharmacy's most popular and growing services is prescription bubble packs that organize pills by the time and day the customer is supposed to take them.
The packaging makes it simple for the customers or their care providers at nursing homes or assisted living facilities to see if they have taken the right amount of any medication at the prescribed time.
The home medical department carries products such as lift chairs and incontinence and colostomy supplies that improve people's quality of life.
While revenue only decreased slightly in most parts of the business during COVID-19, the pandemic heightened pressure on its lunch counter, a popular gathering place for retirees, Byers said.
Washington's rules forced them to shut down the eatery several times. When it was allowed to be open, social distancing rules limited the number of diners allowed at the counter.
Amid the unpredictability, some of the employees who staffed the coffee shop took different jobs. Then food prices began rising, something that hit the operation particularly hard since it was known for bargains like a $4.50 soup-and-sandwich combination.
"The rest of the store has been kind of supplementing that," Byers said. "In the end, it doesn't pencil out to start it back up again right now. It breaks our heart, but sometimes you can't put your heart strings on the dollars it costs to run it."
Some of the same business trends that hurt the coffee shop created an opportunity in the gift department that Byers is turning into a destination for puzzles, toys and games.
Sales of puzzles skyrocketed when people were forced to stay at home in the early stages of the pandemic. Byers tried to stock merchandise that gave families activities other than watching television.
Expanding on that, Wasem's recently won approval to sell Lego.
"We had to go through some hoops," Byers said. "I think they say only one in three businesses will get the opportunity to be able to sell the Lego brand, and for us, being small, to me it was a big deal."
An educational toy like Lego bricks fits well with Wasem's, which has cultivated a reputation for being a family-friendly business for decades.
Byers and Wendt Wyatt credit the owner who preceded them, Rick Wasem, and the previous two generations of Wasems with creating the foundation for their success.
Rick Wasem was the one who identified them as the right individuals to acquire the business. Byers had handled most parts of the business other than the pharmacy since 2009, especially after the death of Rick Wasem's parents, Cliff and Dorothy Wasem, in a car wreck.
Wendt Wyatt knew the ins and outs of the pharmacy, including how to compound, a skill that's difficult to learn.
They respected each other as work colleagues when they bought the business and have grown closer through the experience of being co-owners. The women and their husbands vacation, camp and go to dinner together.
"We're a good mix of personalities," said Wendt Wyatt. "We've definitely grown."
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
