State Trading Organisation (STO) has announced that its Smart Store in Hulhumalé will be converted into a pharmacy within the next two weeks.

Speaking at the company’s Annual General Meeting last night, STO Managing Director Shimad Ibrahim confirmed the conversion, noting that work is already underway to repurpose the  Smart Store for pharmaceutical use. He stated that the transformation will be completed in a short period.

The Smart Store, which originally opened in July 2023 and integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline operations, was located at the former STO outlet in Hulhumalé Phase 1. Despite its technological innovation, the store has reportedly experienced low footfall since its launch.

In addition to the ongoing conversion, STO plans to establish new pharmacies in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Hulhumalé. According to Shimad, these efforts are driven by the company’s commitment to ensuring public access to essential medicines, rather than focusing on profit generation.

The organisation has also signed an agreement with an Indian pharmaceutical company to import a consistent supply of essential pharmaceuticals.