No immediate changes in advertising assignments are expected in the aftermath of the Shoppers Drug Mart purchase of the 135-store Big V Pharmacy chain.

The chains will continue to operate separately until the end of 1996 when Big V will be merged into Shoppers.

Big V’s agency lineup consists of Thomas Watt Advertising of London, Ont. for television, direct marketing, media planning and buying; Tom Baroni, based out of the u.s., who has handled radio creative and production for a number of years, and Leadley Advertising of Windsor, Ont. which is in charge of the chain’s flyers.

Advertising for Shoppers, a unit of Montreal-based Imasco, is handled by TBWA Chiat/Day of Toronto, while its flyer business is handled in-house.