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ARBOR DRUGS  (Michigan)
Civic Drugs ~ Cunningham Drugs ~ Sentry Drugs ~ M&R Drugs

1963 - Eugene Applebaum opened his first drugstore (Civic Drugs) in Detroit, MI.
1974 - Eugene Applebaum founded Arbor Drugs when he merged his 5 drugstores in Michigan.
1981 - The company operated 19 stores and acquired 11 former Cunningham Drug stores.
1986 - Arbor Drugs became a publicly-traded company and acquired the Sentry Drugs chain.
1994 - The company operated 154 drugstores and acquired the M&R chain.
1995 - Arbor Drugs operated 171 drugstores.
1997 - With 207 drugstores, Arbor Drugs is the 8th largest drugstore chain in the U.S.
1998 - Arbor Drugs was acquired by CVS.

 

BARTELL DRUGS  (Washington)
"Your Neighborhood Pharmacy"

1890 - George H. Bartell Sr. founded Bartell Drugs when he purchased a pharmacy in Seattle.
2008 - Bartell Drugs operates 55 drug stores in Washington.

 

BIG A DRUG  (California)
Drug Barn ~ Drug Fair ~ Drug Emporium ~ Camelot Drugs

1971 - Big A Drug was established in Long Beach, CA.
2007 - With 21 drug stores operating under the Big A, Camelot Drugs, Drug Fail, Drug Barn and Drug Emporium banners, the
          company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Click on images below to enlarge:

 

BROOKS PHARMACY
Adams Drugs ~ City Drug

1932 - Adams Drug Co. was founded in Pawtucket, RI.
1984 - With 400 stores in the Northeast, Adams Drugs was acquired by the Pantry Pride supermarket chain.
1986 - The stores were renamed Brooks by Pantry Pride.
1988 - Brooks was acquired by Indiana-based Hook's-SupeRx.
1994 - Revco acquired Hook-SupeRx and sold the Brooks stores in New England to Canada-based Jean Coutu Group.  The
          remaining Brooks stores were renamed Revco.
1995 - Brooks traded its stores in Maine with Rite Aid's Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores.
1999 - Brooks acquired Vermont-based City Drug.
2001 - Brooks acquired Osco Drug's New England Stores from Albertsons.
2004 - Brooks acquired 1,539 stores from Eckerd Drugs.
2006 - Rite Aid acquired Brooks and Eckerd Drugs.

Click on images below to enlarge:

 

CARDINAL HEALTH
Leader Drug Stores  ~  The Medicine Shoppe

2008 - Cardinal Health owns the Leader Drug and The Medicine Shoppe banners which are franchises for over 4,000
          independently-owned drugstores.

 

 

CVS/pharmacy

1963 - Consumer Value Stores was founded by Stanley Goldstein and Ralph Hoagland in Lowell, MA selling health and beauty
          items.
1964 - The company operates 17 stores.
1967 - The company begins opening pharmacy departments in their stores.
1969 - The Melville Corp. acquired Consumer Value Stores.
1970 - The company operates 100 stores in New England and the Northeast.
1972 - The company acquired the 84-store Clinton Drug and Discount Store chain in Michigan and Indiana.
1974 - Sales reach $ 100 million.
1977 - CVS acquired the 36-store New Jersey-based Mack Drug chain.
1985 - CVS reaches $1 billion in annual sales.
1988 - CVS operates 750 stores.
1990 - CVS acquired the 500-store Peoples Drug with stores in DC, PA, MD and VA.
1996 - Melville Corp. spun-off CVS as an independent company.
1997 - The largest drugstore acquisition in U.S. history took place when CVS acquired the 2,500 store Revco chain.
1998 - CVS acquired Michigan-based Arbor Drugs giving CVS a total of  4,100 in 24 states.
2004 - CVS acquired 1,268 stores from Eckerd Drug, giving CVS more than 5,000 stores.
2005 - CVS is the largest drugstore chain in the U.S.
2006 - CVS acquired 700 stores from Albertsons (Osco and Sav-On).
2007 - CVS merged with Caremark Rx.
2008 - CVS operated 6,200 stores in 38 states.

Click on images below to enlarge:
 

Source: CVS

 

DART DRUG

1955 - Dart Drug was founded by Herbert and Gloria Haft in Washington, DC which was the foundation for Dart Group.
1977 - Herbert Haft founded Crown Books.
1984 - With 75 stores, Dart Drug was sold to a management group.
1987 - Bud Fantle acquired Dart Drug and renamed the stores Fantle's.
1989 - Fantle's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the stores were closed.
1992 - Herbert Haft founded the Total Beverage liquor store chain.
1993 - Crown Books operated 193 stores.
1996 - Crown Books filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1997 - After shedding half its stores, Crown Books emerged from bankruptcy protection.
1998 - Crown Books again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1998 - With 5 stores, Total Beverage was acquired by the Total Wine & More liquor store chain.
2000 - Crown Books emerged from bankruptcy protection.
2001 - Crown Books was liquidated.

At one point, Dart Group owned a part of Shoppers Food Warehouse and Track Auto which were acquired by Richfood.

 

DRUG FAIR  (New Jersey)
"We Care"

2008 - Drug Fair operates 41 drugstores in New Jersey.

 

DUANE READE  (New York)

1960 - Duane Reade was founded in New York.  The company was named after the location of its first store which is on
          Broadway in Manhattan between Duane and Reade Streets.
2008 - The company operated over 280 stores in the New York area.

 

ECKERD DRUGS

1898 - J. Milton Eckerd founded Eckerd Drugs in Erie, PA.
1912 - Eckerd sold his drugstore to his sons and opened one in Wilmington, DE.
1961 - Eckerd became a publicly-traded company.
1996 - JC Penny acquired Eckerd Drugs and brought its Thrift Drug, Kerr Drugs and Fay Drugs chains under the Eckerd banner.
1998 - Eckerd Drugs acquired Genovese Drugs.
2000 - The company operated over 2,800 drugstores.
2004 - JC Penny sold its east coast Eckerd Drug store to the Canada-based Jean Coutu Group and its stores in the west to CVS.
2006 - Coutu sold its Eckerd and Brooks stores to Rite Aid.

Click on images below to enlarge:

A former Brroks store becoming a Rite Aid

 

FAY'S DRUGS  (New York)
1958 - Henry Panasci Sr. and his son founded Fay's Drugs in Fairmount, NY.
1996 - Fay's Drugs was acquired by JC Penney.

 

FRUTH PHARMACY  (West Virginia)
1952 - Fruth Drugs was founded in West Virginia.
2008 - Fruth Drugs operates 25 drugstores in WV and OH.

 

GENOVESE DRUGS  (New York)

"We'll Take Good Care Of You"

1924 - Joseph Genovese opened his first drugstore in Astoria, Queens, NY.
1968 - Genovese Drugs became a publicly-traded company.
1978 - The company operated 50 drugstores.
1993 - Genovese Drugs operated 101 drugstores in NY, NJ and CT.
1994 - The company launched its The Craft Works arts and crafts stores in CT.
1996 - Genovese Drugs operated 121 drugstores in NY, NJ and CT.
1998 - Florida-based Eckerd Drugs acquired Genovese Drugs.

 

GOOD NEIGHBOR PHARMACY

2008 - Good Neighbor Pharmacy is a franchise for over 2,700 independently-owned pharmacies throughout the U.S.

 

GRAY DRUG STORES
1912 - Adolph Weinberger opened his first drugstore in Cleveland, OH.
1928 - Weinberger Drug Stores operated 7 drugstores.
1936 - Weinberger Drug Stores operated 29 drugstores.
1945 - The company is renamed Gray Drug Stores, Inc.
1964 - Gray Drug Stores acquired the Rink's Discount Department Stores chain.
1981 - Cleveland-based Cooks United acquired the Rink's Discount Department Stores chain from Gray Drug Stores.
1981 - Gray Drug Stores operated over 360 drugstores in the Midwest and East when it acquired the 181 store Drug Fair chain.
1981 - Sherwin Williams Co. acquired Gray Drug Stores.
1982 - The company acquired 26 Cleveland-area Cunningham Drug Stores.
1987 - Gray Drug Stores operates 450 drugstores in OH, DC, FL, DE, IN, MD, NY, NC, PA, VA and WV.
1987 - Rite Aid acquired the Gray Drug Stores from Sherwin Williams.

Click on images below to enlarge:

Gray "Rexall" Drug Stores

Gray "Discount" Drug Stores

1963 - Gray Drug Stores Ad - Source: Ohio Grocery

1975 - Gray Drug Stores Ad - Source: Ohio Grocery

Gray Drugs & Pick-N-Pay - Source: Cleveland State University

1972 - Cunningham's Drug Stores Ad - Source: Ohio Grocery

Marshall's Drug Stores

1964 - Marshall's Drug Stores Ad - Source: Ohio Grocery

 

G.O. GUY  (Washington)

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HOOK'S DRUG STORES  ~ SUPERX DRUGS

1900 - John Hook founded Hook's Drug Stores in Indianapolis.
1912 - The company operated 12 drugstores.
1985 - With over 150 locations, Hook's Drug Stores was acquired by the Kroger supermarket chain.
1986 - Kroger spun-off its Hook's-SupeRx chain as an independent company.
1988 - Hook's-SupeRx acquired New Englad-based Brooks Pharmacy.
1994 - Revco Drugs acquired Hook's-SupeRx.

Click on images below to enlarge:

New Castle, IN - Source: Wikipedia

 

K & B

1905 - K & B (Katz & Besthoff) was founded in New Orleans, LA.
1997 - The company was acquired by Rite Aid.

 

KINNEY DRUGS  (New York)

1908 - Orrin Kinney founded Kinney Drugs in Gouverneur, NY.
2008 - Kinney Drugs operates almost 100 drugstores in NY and VT.

 

LEWIS DRUG STORES  (South Dakota)

1942 - Lewis Drug Stores was founded in South Dakota.
1998 - The company acquired the 11 store Family Drug Stores chain.
2008 - Lewis Drug Stores operates 28 drugstores in SD, MN and IO.

 

LONGS DRUGS

1938 - Joe and Tom Long founded Longs Drugs in California.
2008 - Longs Drugs operates 490 drugstores in CA, NV and HI.

Click on images below to enlarge:

Skaggs Companies

 

PAY 'N SAVE
1941 - M. Lamont Bean founded Pay 'n Save in Seattle, WA.
1988 - Thrifty PayLess acquired Pay 'n Save.

Click on images below to enlarge:

1970's - Oakland, CA

Gilroy, CA

Pasco, WA

 

PEOPLES DRUG
Lane Drugs ~ Schuman Drugs ~ Dynamic Drugs ~ Health Mart ~ Reed Drugs ~ Lee Drugs
1904 - Malcolm Gibbs founded Peoples Drug.
1930 - The company operates 110 stores under the Peoples Drug, Days Drugs and Shearer Drugs banners.
1975 - Peoples Drug operates 500 stores and is acquired by Ohio-based Lane Drugs and retains the Peoples Drugs name.
          Peoples Drug divisions include Lane Drugs, Schuman Drugs, Dynamic Drugs, Health Mart, Reed Drugs and Lee Drugs.
1984 - The company was acquired by Canada-based Imasco (Shoppers Drug Mart).
1984 - Peoples Drug acquired Rea & Derick and Haag Drugs.  People Drugs has almost 800 stores.
1989 - The company sold its Lane Drugs division to Rite Aid.
1990 - CVS acquired Peoples Drug.

 

PERRY DRUG STORES  (Michigan)
Apex Drugs ~ Auto Works
1957 - Perry Drug Stores was founded in Pontiac, MI by Jack Robinson.
1982 - The company launched its Auto Works auto parts chain.
1985 - The company acquired the Apex Drugs chain.
1988 - Perry Drug Stores sold its Auto Works chain to CSK Auto.
1990 - Perry Drug Stores acquired several Michigan locations from Revco and sold its A.L. Price discount drugstores to
          F&M Distributors.
1993 - The company re-acquired the 11-store A.L. Price discount drugstore chain from F&M Distributors.
1994 - The company acquired 25 former Hook's Drugs locations from Rite Aid.
1995 - Rite Aid acquired Perry Drug Stores (224 stores).

 

REVCO DRUGS
1956 - Registered Vitamin Company was founded in Ohio by Sidney Dworkin and Bernie Shulman.
1983 - Revco operated 2,200 drugstores and acquired the Odd Lots (Big Lots) chain.
1988 - The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
1990 - Revco sold its Detroit area store to Perry Drug Stores.
1992 - Revco emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with 1,500 stores.
1994 - The company acquired 800 drugstores from Hooks-SupeRx and sold 24 of them to Rite Aid.
1996 - Revco acquired the Big B Drugs chain from Alabama-based Bruno's supermarkets.
1996 - The Federal Trade Commission stopped a planned purchase of Revco by Rite Aid.
1997 - CVS acquired Revco Drugs.

 

REXALL DRUGS

1902 - 40 independently-owned drugstores join together to form Rexall Drugs as a retailers cooperative named United Drugs.
1943 - The chain operated under the Liggett, Owl, Sonta, and Rexall banners, which were rebranded under the Rexall name.
1946 - United-Rexall Drug Inc. acquired the Texas-based Renfro chain.
1958 - With 11,158 stores operating as a part of Rexall, the company was the largest U.S. drug store franchise.
1977 - The company is sold to private investors.
1985 - Vitamin maker Sundown acquired the Rexall name.
2000 - Sundown-Rexall was acquired by the parent company of GNC and Met Rx.
2003  The Rexall-Sundown name was sold to U.S. vitamin maker NBTY.  Over 1,000 independently-owned drugstores in Canada
         continue to operate under the Rexall banner as a part of The Katz Group.

Click on images below to enlarge:

1950's - Sedro-Woolley, WA

 

RITE AID

1962 - Alexander Grass founded Thrif D Discount Center in Scranton, PA.
1968 - The company was renamed Rite Aid.
1972 - Rite Aid operated 261 drugstores in 10 states.
1981 - Rite Aid is the 6th largest drugstore chain in the United States.
1983 - Company sales reach $ 1 billion.
1992 - The company acquired the 41-store Wellby Super Drug chain from Hannaford.
1994 - Rite Aid acquired 24 Hooks Drug stores from Revco.
1995 - The company acquired the Michigan-based 224-store Perry Drug Stores chain.
1996 - Rite Aid acquired Thrifty PayLess (1,000 stores including the Bi-Mart chain in the Northwest).
1998 - Rite Aid sold its Bi-Mart membership discount stores chain.
2005 - Rite Aid acquired the Philadelphia-based Shelley's Pharmacy chain.
2006 - Rite Aid acquired approximately 1,850 Brooks/Eckerd Stores and becomes the 3rd largest drugstore chain in the U.S.
          behind Walgreen's and CVS.
2008 - Rite Aid pulled out of the Las Vegas market, closing all 28 stores there.

Click on images below to enlarge:

2008 - Rite Aid exits the Las Vegas market. Source: Carl Cestaro

2008 - Rite Aid exits the Las Vegas market. Source: Carl Cestaro

2008 - Source: Carl Cestaro

Rita Aid soda

 

SNYDER DRUG
Drug Emporium ~ Western Drug ~ F & M ~ VIX
1928 - Snyder Drug was founded in Minneapolis, MN by Max Snyder.
1939 - Snyder Drug Store is incorporated.
1977 - Drug Emporium is founded in Columbus, OH.
1990's - The company operates almost 300 locations under the Drug Emporium, F&M and VIX banners.
2001 - Drug Emporium filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was acquired by Snyder Drug. CA-based Big A and others
          purchased several former Drug Emporium locations.
2003 - In an effort to avoid bankruptcy itself, Snyder Drug liquidated the Drug Emporium chain.
2008 - Snyder Drug operates 60 corporate and services 60 independently-owned stores under the Snyder Drug and Western
          Drug banners.

Click on images below to enlarge:

Source: Our Uptown

Source: Our Uptown

Source: Our Uptown

Independently-Owned Store

 

THRIFT DRUG
1968 - Thrift Drug was acquired by JC Penney.
1997 - JC Penney renamed Thrift Drug stores Eckerd Drugs.

 

UNITED DRUGS  (Arizona)

"Someone Who Cares"

1976 - United Drugs was founded in Phoenix, AZ as a banner for independently-own drugstores.
2008 - Over 1,000 independently-owned pharmacies are members of United Drugs.
 

 

VALU-RITE PHARMACY
1979 - Valu-Rite was founded as a banner for independently-owned pharmacies.
2008 - Over 4,000 independently-owned drugstores operate as a part of Valu-Rite.
 

 

WALGREENS
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