Eckerd stores to become Rite Aid

[xyhamiltonboi]

Rite Aid will acquire are located in Maine , Vermont , New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Rhode Island and Connecticut . The Eckerd stores Rite Aid will acquire are located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Ohio. The distribution centers Rite Aid will acquire are located in Atlanta , GA ; Charlotte , NC ; Philadelphia , PA ; Dayville , CT ; Syracuse , NY and Bohemia , NY. The transaction also includes The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA

[krazeeboi]

Why does Eckerd or Rite Aid even exist anymore?

[Doug L]

I wish Wallgreens would build a really nice urban store in midtown!

[krazeeboi]

I don't know why Walgreens tends to shy away from the downtown market. If they knew what was good for them, they'd give CVS some good downtown competition!

[waccamatt]

I don't know why Walgreens tends to shy away from the downtown market. If they knew what was good for them, they'd give CVS some good downtown competition!

Years ago (before my time), Walgreen's had a store on Main Street.

[krazeeboi]

I guess that was before the days of suburban competition. Since those days, Walgreens seems pretty firmly entrenched in the suburbs. In some of the bigger cities, there are Walgreens stores downtown however.

[NCMike1981]

I'm still not used to seeing Walgreens. They didn't really invade central North Carolina until a few years ago and now they are everywhere. It seems like the Triangle area is a core market for Eckerd or something so it's kind of wierd to think of them disappearing. Rite Aid used to have a few stores scattered around here until the mid '90's then someone bought them out. Now they will be coming back, wierd.

In the Triangle I notice these drug stores seem to have the most locations:

1. CVS is at almost every intersection with a stoplight, you rarely see them in an actual shopping center anymore

2. Eckerds is at either the same intersection with CVS or the next stoplight down, still has a few older shopping center locations but not too many left

3. Walgreens has been popping up so quickly over the last 3 or 4 years that they are probably approaching number 2 by now, although they seem to prefer the shiny and new parts of town over older more established areas at this point, freestanding locations only since all their Triangle stores are new

4. Kerr Drug seems to be mainly in older shopping centers anchored by Food Lions or old Winn Dixies although there are a few freestanding ones scattered about, mainly in smaller towns where Walgreens has yet to invade, most of the locations in the core cities seem to still be in shopping centers...if memory serves me right they were the ones who bought out the few remaining Rite Aid locations still hanging around the Triangle in the mid '90's

[krazeeboi]

While CVS has more locations, Walgreens brings in more revenue annually. And as a former employee (who may begin working there again in the near future), I think Walgreens is more efficient than CVS, especially the 24 hour stores. But I do agree that Walgreens seems to prefer the newer parts of town.

Rite Aid buying out Eckerds just seems like a step down for me. As for the popular pharmacies, for me Walgreens and CVS are pretty much on par, then Eckerds is a couple of notches down, and Rite Aid is near the bottom. Kerr Drug isn't quite as popular down this way.

[Pillsbury]

^ I hate Eckerd and CVS. They're mean. My brother used to work in the photo department at Eckerd and he would send people to Walgreen's because he said they had a better photo machine. Strangely enough, the store closed about a year later....heheheehe. I don't even think I've ever heard of Rite Aid. I don't think they have them over here.....

[Spartan]

I thought Eckerds bought CVS? I didn't even know Rite-Aid existed anymore. I thought they ran out of business or we're ought by another company. It doesnt really matter anyway as they are all the exact same thing.

[Doug L]

Years ago (before my time), Walgreen's had a store on Main Street.

Many, many moons ago when I was a student at Eau Claire HS I had loads of friends that attended Ursuline HS on Assembly Street. We would all meet at the Walgreen's on Main for breakfast then go to our respective schools. Those were the golden days of Main Street. What memories!

[krazeeboi]

I thought Eckerds bought CVS?

Oh goodness no. Perhaps you're thinking of when CVS was the Revco brand?

[Spartan]

Oh goodness no. Perhaps you're thinking of when CVS was the Revco brand?

No, this was recently. Like 2-3 years ago. I distinclty remember talking about it with various people.

[StevenRocks]

CVS bought a bunch of Eckerd stores when JCPenney sold Eckerd a couple years ago. That may be what Spartan's thinking about.

[NCMike1981]

Was CVS in the Carolinas before they bought out Revco? I remember when that buyout happened Revco had started building a few freestanding locations, some of which still exist as CVS, and they were kinda large looking and distinctive. But I really don't recall CVS being in the area until they bought Revco...must have been 7-10 years ago....

[krazeeboi]

I just thought Revco was changing its name; I didn't know that it was being bought out by existing chain that already carried the CVS name. That said, I do not recall any CVS pharmacies in town until the Revco buyout.

[Spartan]

I always liked the Revco name better.

[emerging.me]

Hey maybe they'll build a an ugly suburban store on Assembly Street to compete with CVS!

[krazeeboi]

^Not funny. LOL

[Greenville]

I am fairly sure that CVS bought Eckerd a few years ago. There was discussion at the time about whether CVS would convert all stores to the CVS name or keep some as Eckerd. Fortunately, they have kept Eckerd around (the general public can't even tell they are the same company!).

I am an Eckerd fan. I like the stores, the environment, and the people. Plus, they have a few things I need that other drug stores don't carry. They tend to have newer stores and are in generally prosperous areas.

Walgreen's is good too. I do not care for CVS as much, but they aren't bad. I thought Rite Aid was almost out of business, and when I think of them I think of older stores in not as good areas. It is going to suck if I lose my favorite (Eckerd) to freakin' Rite Aid.

There are a few Kerr Drugs in Charleston. It's funny, because before I moved here I thought they were out of business. I remember going in them as a kid and liking them okay.

[carolinadude9409]

Ummm...I like Walgreens.

[StevenRocks]

I am fairly sure that CVS bought Eckerd a few years ago. There was discussion at the time about whether CVS would convert all stores to the CVS name or keep some as Eckerd. Fortunately, they have kept Eckerd around (the general public can't even tell they are the same company!).

CVS bought approximately half of Eckerd a couple of years ago, but the other half of Eckerd and the Eckerd brand name went to the Canadian comapny The Jean Cotu Group, which also owned Brooks pharmacies in the Northeast.