Another one going or gone

[Jeepnik]

Remember Thrifty Drug. It got bought by Rite Aide. Well they are gone or very close to it. We had two in town. Both closed several months ago.

But on the plus side, the one good reason to go to Thrifty remains. I can now get some of their ice cream flavors at my preferred supermarket.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Rite Aid has been struggling for several years....how could they buy out anything with the shutdowns and major financial struggles they have? CVS/Caremark is the only "drugstore" in decent shape. Followed by Walgreens. End of the day CVS/Caremark will be the last one standing.

I honestly have no idea how Rite Aid is still functioning....I know several folks at corporate and field regional level and they say they are just trying to hang on until retirement. But know the next phone call could be the end of their job.

 

[Jeepnik]

All we have left in town are a couple of CVS's. Oh, and a Target. Other than that it's just independent pharmacies, and they are extremely high on OTC stuff.

 

[Dan in MI]

I thought Rite Aid as already gone. Maybe just MI. CVS has reduced their footprint quite a bit

 

[ArizonaTea123]

Thrifty ice cream has been around forever. I hope that doesn't disappear.

 

[jimbo1096]

I remember visiting in California to my father-in-law and he made a point almost every day of going by thrifty and getting an ice cream. I don’t know what made it so much better but it was pretty good.

 

[Randyzzz]

Thrifty ice cream. The little plunger style scoops… a perfect “shot” of ice cream every time…

 

[jyo]

Rite-Aid was poorly managed, I'm surprised they lasted so long... Here in L.A., we also got Walgreens, but it seems they're during badly as well...

 

[GasGuzzler]

Never heard of any of those.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I can remember back in the late 60's (I was probably 5 or 6) going with my Mother to the Rexall pharmacy in Downers Grove Illinois. I remember the orange sign with blue lettering, and getting a piece of candy from the Pharmacist every time we went there. I believe it was meds for my Grandfather we were picking up.

 

[gunzo]

Hard to figure any of it for me. 15 years ago Rite Aides were plentiful around here & I would wonder how they made it as their traffic was slow. Then Walgreens came in & bought them out. They shut half the RA;s down. Huh? Buy something & shut half of it down? But they might have bought for 40 cents on the dollar, so they cut the fat, streamlined & still 10 cents on the dollar to the better.
But,,, now Walgreens is in trouble.

Sounds like what happened to Remington & many other companies, a big investment firm buys a company, saddles it in debt, skims the profits without satisfying the loans, files for bankruptcy & says bye. Seeing that too much these days, & thinking changes to the rules of such need a serious look.

 

[mr.deerstalker]

Booze shops and Pot shops are the new corner convenient stores...sadly

 

[Jeepnik]

We now have more pot shops in town than pharmacies.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Then Walgreens came in & bought them out.

Walgreens did not buy out Rite Aid in their bankruptcy. Not all of it anyway. Just a few markets they thought they could turn around, and before CVS/Caremark could grab them. But CVS got most of the prescription business and assets eventually. What's left of Rite Aid, and it isn't much is being liquidated by Hilco.