November 2024
Elevate PHX – Teresa Dickinson
Entrepreneur Teresa Dickinson didn’t need to look far for her next business opportunity. This Phoenix businessowner with a successful pharmacy in north-central Phoenix made Terminal 4 her first foray into airport retail.
Teresa owns Melrose Pharmacy and Uptown Phoenix, a boutique shop specializing in sundry items. Her Phoenix shop is a complete pharmacy, which is regarded highly among merchants and customers of the revitalized Melrose area of Phoenix where it’s located.
“I felt honored when I got asked to participate. I originally lost in the previous request for proposals, and then Marshall Retail Group invited me back,” she said.
Operating a full-service pharmacy is a big part of her business identity, especially since she is proud of its reputation as what she considers to be one of the best pharmacies in Arizona.
“It was never my inspiration to have a retail operation in the airport before that but I was very excited about it,” she said.
Pivoting from selling pharmaceuticals to travel-oriented items, like books and sunglasses, hasn’t deterred Teresa from her vocation of running a specialty pharmacy.
“I would love to have real pharmacy there with prescriptions available, maybe attached to a doctor’s office with PA or telemedicine. I feel like there’s a need for that,” she said. “But if anybody has any ideas on how to make that happen, then I’m happy to hear them.”
Born in Arizona, Teresa was raised in a military family that moved around her whole life. Her favorite place to live?
“Hard to say, but probably Germany being an Army brat. It’s just beautiful there but I got to travel different countries very easily,” she said. “My Girl Scout troop went to Berlin. Our fifth-grade class took a ski trip the Alps. I got to see the Pope.”
While an airport pharmacy is still a long-range goal, Teresa is preparing to open a second location of pharmacy in northwest Phoenix. Still, having an airport store is like having a storefront on Fifth Avenue.
“It’s exciting when I have friends walk by and see it and send me pictures, like the business partners I’m with,” she said. “They became friends, and I feel like I made an impact where my business is recognizable. Feel a prestige to be a part of it.”
Her advice to future airport business owners: “If they had nothing to do with the airport, make sure they reach out and take advantage of their business coaching to run their business efficiently,” she said. “There’s a lot of networking involved and it’s important to not miss those opportunities.”
Entrepreneurs interested learning more about contracting with one of the Phoenix Airport System properties can start by checking out Doing Business with PHX, DVT, and GYR.