Our Story

“Are you actually a pharmacy?”

 

We get asked this more times than not, and, in case you were wondering, the answer is YES!! So how did a drug store get into the luxury children’s clothes and gift biz?  It’s a sweet story of opportunity and chance in a small Southern town and the evolution of a multi-generational business in an ever-changing world.

 

“A connection to the past and a commitment to the future...” Once a slogan in a television ad, the sentiment rings even truer today.

David and Laura Darby met in pharmacy school at Auburn University and married two days after graduating in 1982.  In 1983, Harco Drug Co. brought them to the small town of Andalusia, Alabama, where Laura was a pharmacist and David eventually became a district manager for the company.  When Harco sold out, David and Laura faced the decision of moving or further growing their roots in Andalusia.  In December 1997, they opened the doors to Darby’s Village Pharmacy in downtown Andalusia.

Fast forward 15 years and they were presented with an opportunity to open a second location in a medical park across from the local hospital.  This store would be much larger than the original location, offering a community wellness screening room, a drive-through window and an extensive gift department! 

Given the close proximity to the only birthing center in the tri-county area, the gift department originally specialized in apparel and gifts for newborns.  As the babies grew, so did the sizing and brand requests.  Additionally, the gift shop also diversified its product offerings, extending to home accessories, candles and tabletop.

In 2018, the second generation--Sarah Darby Wright-- formally joined the company, bringing years of buying expertise from the Ralph Lauren Corporation in New York City.  Sarah has a passion for sourcing unique brands and products for her customers of all ages, near and far.  She enjoys shopping the old department store-style drugstores of NYC's Upper East Side and Greenwich Village, which have inspired what Darby's is today. 

 Whether you are picking up a prescription, creating a wedding registry, perusing our candle assortment or selecting a baby gift, we vow to provide The Darby Difference:  a quality product at a fair price with a superior level of service.