Drug stores of yesteryear.

[mediamongrel]

This in interesting to think of all the drug chains of yesteryear that have been gobbled up by the ever growing Eckerd/CVS/Walgreens trifecta. Specifically in NC I remember Rite-Aid, Phar-Mor, and Drug Emporium. Does anyone know if any of these chains still have stores open in NC?

[NCMike1981]

NC had Revco which became CVS in the late '90's. I believe there may still be Rite Aids in VA, but they abandoned NC probably a good 10 yrs ago...I have yet to go into a Walgreens. I know that they apparantely were here decades ago, and now they r coming back but I really don't have much of a desire to go in one.

How much longer do you think Kerr Drug will last b4 they get gobbled up?

[mediamongrel]

How much longer do you think Kerr Drug will last b4 they get gobbled up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know much about Kerr Drug. The last one I remember was next to the Piper Glen Harris Teeter. It became a CVS in the summer of 2002.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

My first Job was as a cashier in a Rite-Aid on Battleground. If I remember correctly didnt they do some kind of deal with Kerr Drug? (sort of like the Kroger/Harris Teeter deal.) Also when we moved out here...on US 70 there was a Kerr Drug in the Elon Food Lion...it then became an Eckards...and then closed when Eckards built a new building a block away.

I would guess that the mail order drug business has probably cut into a lot of the drug store business (not all, but a lot of it). My husband's work's prescription plan only allows 3 prescriptions off the same prescription bought locally...after that you have to get it via the mail in order to receive any benefit. For what I take, it was the difference between spending $60.00 every three months to take my prescription somewhere locally...to spending$20.00 every three months through the mail. I choose mail order.

[cosmoboy]

They still have a Kerr Drug in University Mall in Chapel Hill and a few others in greensboro. I hate Walgreens! They are everywhere, they are totally saturating the market!

[DigitalSky]

I remember we used to go to PharMoor in Windsor Square a lot... and there was either a Revco or Rite Aid (can't remember) next to Food Lion on Monroe Road

[StevenRocks]

Kerr Drug (the original one based in Raleigh) got bought out by JCPenney in 1994. JCPenney also owned Thrift Drug nd Treasury Drug, both of which had stores in North Carolina (Crabtree Valley Mall had a Treasury Drug originally). Since the Kerr name was stronger, they converted the Thrift and Treasury brands to Kerr Drug in NC.

In order to grow Kerr, JCPenney bought a number of Rite-Aid locations in the Carolinas in 1995, when Rite-Aid started pulling out of the region

In 1996, JCPenney also bought Eckerd. Since the combined drugstore chain would control a majority of the perscription business in the state, the Federal Government forced JCPenney to divest 167 stores in the Carolinas in order to complete the Eckerd transaction. Those stores went to NC Mutual Drug Co., previously a cooperative-kind of like the old Rexall chain-and those stores took the Kerr name, while the other stores retained by JCPenney became Eckerd.

[StevenRocks]

How much longer do you think Kerr Drug will last b4 they get gobbled up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kerr Drug has a lot of rural and inner-city stores. Nobody big in the indsutry wants those markets.

[NCMike1981]

Raleigh has a handful of them scattered, Durham seems to have quite a few Kerr Drugs left, as well as Mebane, Hillsborough has 2, it's the only drug store chain in town and they r converting one of them to a new freestanding store with a cafe as we speak. Yes there will be a Kerr Cafe lol

There was also a Treasury Drug in South Square Mall, I can't recall if they became a Kerr Drug or simply closed shop. It seems as if most malls had a chain drug store in them until the early-mid '90's. I wonder what happened?

[jb4563]

Revco was awesome.

Their newer stores were really nice, and who can forget Mary Lou Retton?

[cosmoboy]

Phar-Mor used to be on Peters Creek pkwy in Winston and Drug Emporium used to be on Silas Creek Pkwy but now it's an AC Moore.

[monsoon]

There was a Treasury Drugs in Myrtle Beach in the 60s-80s too. It was bought out by Revco or Eckerds. I don't remember which.

Its companion department store, Grants, was converted to a Kmart, and is now a Big Lots.

[mediamongrel]

There was a Treasury Drugs in Myrtle Beach in the 60s-80s too.  It was bought out by Revco or Eckerds.  I don't remember which. 

Its companion department store, Grants, was converted to a Kmart, and is now a Big Lots.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was this department store (Grant's) you're talking about near the Myrtle Beach Mall? Last time I was in Myrtle Beach, that mall was beginning to get totally run down and ghetto.

[StevenRocks]

It seems as if most malls had a chain drug store in them until the early-mid '90's. I wonder what happened?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just about all the malls in NC had one, usually Eckerd but not always.

I think what happened was that malls got too into fashion merchadise and the stores that sold them. Those fashion stores were willing to pay much higher rents than drug stores, variety stores and cafeterias, so when those older formats were at the ends of their leases, they got kicked out for the more finacially lucrative fashion retailers; most of which went out of business because their rents were too high.

Circle of retail

Revco was awesome.

Their newer stores were really nice, and who can forget Mary Lou Retton?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"And another thing..."

There was a Treasury Drugs in Myrtle Beach in the 60s-80s too.  It was bought out by Revco or Eckerds.  I don't remember which. 

Its companion department store, Grants, was converted to a Kmart, and is now a Big Lots.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Probably Eckerd.

Grant's and Thrift Drug (same parent co. as Treasury; JCPenney) had a simlar setup in Bedford, Va. My dad said back when it was being built, the papers around there mistakenly reported Bedford was getting a JCPenney instead of a drug store owned by JCPenney.

That Grant's in Bedford became a Maxway (back when Maxway was like Kmart and not like Family Dollar), then Wal-Mart, and now it's a Tractor Supply Co. and a Dollar Tree.

[jb4563]

"And another thing..." 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I cannot believe you remember she said that...all I remembered is the "Friend for Life" thing.

Also, there was Crown Drugs in the Triad that Eckerd bought out in 1993, 1994?

I remember the Crown Drug near Old Town on Reynolda Road that had the HUGE flashing "Prescriptions" sign.

[StevenRocks]

Also, there was Crown Drugs in the Triad that Eckerd bought out in 1993, 1994?

I remember the Crown Drug near Old Town on Reynolda Road that had the HUGE flashing "Prescriptions" sign.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I nevr saw the sign, but I remember Crown Drugs. They had a big one in Hanes Mall on what was once the lower level of the old Thalhimers.

[f0xym0p]

There are still 2 Kerr Drugs in Sanford. A weird thing happened there--we had two Rite Aids and one Kerr Drug, then they switched and the Kerr Drug became Rite Aid and the two Rite Aids became Kerr Drug. The Rite Aid has since closed. I always thought Kerr Drug was the best drug store.

[eddard]

There are actually quite a few Kerr Drugs in NC.

Click here to see them

[StevenRocks]

^They have the state covered, that's for sure.

[Gastonite]

Revco was awesome.

Their newer stores were really nice, and who can forget Mary Lou Retton?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I completely agree with you. I remember one of them by Media Play on South Blvd. and couldn't believe that Revco had actually put that much thought into store design. That's why I cringe whenever I go by a CVS, this is the chain that had to go and mess with a good thing.

[Raintree21]

I thought Rite-Aid got bought by Eckerds. At least the one by my house converted to an Eckerds.

[monsoon]

Was this department store (Grant's) you're talking about near the Myrtle Beach Mall?  Last time I was in Myrtle Beach, that mall was beginning to get totally run down and ghetto.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, Grants, Treasury Drugs, a grocery store (I don't remember what was there originally, its a ^&$%#* foodloin now) and a laundrymat made up this strip mall that was located on 17 Business near 17th Ave South. Myrtle Square is located at 21st Ave North. It was built in the very late 60s.

I want to say that grocery store was a Colonial, but I just don't remember.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Does anyone remember Rexal Drugs?

[NCMike1981]

Was Rexal Drugs a chain? Where were they located?

[StevenRocks]

Was Rexal Drugs a chain? Where were they located?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rexall was a co-operative, kind of like IGA. They were all over the country.