Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of three pharmacies in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and Lancashire to independent buyers.

The group comprises Gargrave Pharmacy in Skipton in North Yorkshire; C.E Naylor Pharmacy within Rastrick Health Centre in Brighouse in West Yorkshire; and The Village Pharmacy in Nelson in Lancashire.

Together, they dispense an average of 13,215 items per month.

The pharmacies were previously owned by Adrian and Clare Naylor who, in wanting to retire, were considering closing the branches.

Following a confidential sales process with Tom Young at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through Christie Finance, C.E Naylor Pharmacy has been sold to first-time buyer, Aneela Raja of AS Clinics Ltd, who owns her own health clinic; Gargrave Pharmacy has been sold to first-time buyer, Qashif Ahmed; and The Village Pharmacy has been sold to Vivake Bhatia and Erez Bar-Ilan of BMT Healthcare North Ltd, a small multiple operator which now has eight branches in its portfolio.

Young said: “When Adrian and Clare first approached us, they were contemplating closing their three pharmacies, believing there wouldn’t be much of a market for them due to the ongoing cost pressures facing the pharmacy sector.

“We assured them that we could generate interest for all sites on a confidential basis.

“Leveraging our expertise and market insights, we conducted a competitive bidding process that garnered multiple offers on each of the three branches, effectively demonstrating the continued demand for pharmacies across the north of England.

“Our commitment to a discreet and efficient process ensured that Adrian and Clare’s businesses were successfully transitioned to enthusiastic new owners.”

Ray adds: “First-time buyers have been increasingly active in the market and lenders are keen to support those with a proven track record in the technical aspects, but also some management experience.”

The three pharmacies were sold for an undisclosed price.