CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

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storewanderer
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CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by storewanderer »

Bankrupt Chapter 11

Buildings are being offered.
http://www.djmasset.com/Listings/projec ... UEMP1_AUCT

Yelp indicates that the Colma location started to wind down operations earlier this month. http://www.yelp.com/biz/CIzBfNMq7O3n4u22Gqgt-w

The prescription files seem to have gone to a number of parties.

Anaheim: Walgreens
Colma: Target
Covina: Sav-On Pharmacy (Albertsons) 1023 N. Grand
Fountain Valley: CVS
Fremont: Walgreens
Fresno: Rite Aid
Fullerton: CVS
Huntington Beach: Target
La Habra: Vons
La Palma: Walgreens
Lomita: not yet closed pharmacy
Long Beach 10001 South Str: ???
Long Beach 8111 E. Wardlow: ???
Newark: Hallers
N. Hollywood: not yet closed pharmacy
Redondo Beach: Vons
San Jose: Safeway
South Gate: Walgreens
Sunnyvale: Walgreens
Tustin: Sav-On Pharmacy (Albertsons) First at Newport Ave.
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storeadventures
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Drug Barn

Post by storeadventures »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/storeadven ... 061059736/

Here is a photo of Sunnyvale, Ca. Drug Barn

BTW this location is part of a divided up former JCP Treasury location.
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Groceteria
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Post by Groceteria »

I'm moving this to history since (a) non-grocery retailers are off-topic in the current events section, and (b) it's about a chain that's going under. Please focus any additions to the thread in terms of historical operations. Thanks.
OldBlueValiant
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Post by OldBlueValiant »

I remember the Drug Emporium store in Capitola, CA which opened in '92. It later became a Drug Barn but the Drug Emporium name was left alone at the front of the store. Eventually it was closed and became a Bed, Bath and Beyond.

By the way the Sunnyvale Drug Barn was definitely a Treasury store, but originally it was a White Front, built in '64. These days the building was subdivided into several businesses including a Pak n Save, although the exterior of the building is still largely intact (very similar to the ex White Front store in South SF).
Dean
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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

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luckysaver
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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by luckysaver »

The Covina location (Drug Emporium, Grand Ave at Covina Blvd) was an Alpha Beta. It was one of 3 Alpha Beta stores located along Grand (one was at Arrow, the other was at Badillo). The pharmacy most likely could not compete with the neighboring Savon (inside Albertsons).

UPDATE: Drove by a few days ago - store still standing with the signs still there. The pharmacy may have closed but the rest of the store still appears to be operating. I believe it is affiliated with Good Neighbor Pharmacy.

City of Industry had a Drug Emporium on Colima and Stoner Creek. It is now a Korean supermarket.

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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by TheQuestioner »

I knew of Drug Emporium when I lived on the east coast, they took over some Dart Drug stores after they had been Fantles and F+M (and lasted about as long as those two did) I recall there being a discussion about Drug Barn on one of these retail boards a couple of years ago, and I think it was said that they were once connected with a defunct Liquor Barn chain. When did that chain fail? Were there any other "Barns" that were part of that group? I am guessing Drug Barn and Drug Emporium began as separate chains and eventually ended up under ownership by a third entity. The Big A drug site give the impression of a "cast of brand collector" type conglomerate. Like many such collectors, they appear to have failed to revive any of these brands. I assume that in the days of Liquor Barn, Drug Barn wouldn't have carried liquor. That would have been pretty redundant. Sorry to see such an old style store fall by the wayside. Of course, I am sure some of the strange, rare drugstore products one could get a Drug Barn are probably still available at that huge, odd Castro Valley Rite Aid. Lavoris, anyone?
Dean
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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by Dean »

Drug Emporium seemed to be late with using the UPC codes for scanning. They continued to sticker all the products with the prices.

They advertised that they never raised the prices on a product already priced. Meaning, if new product arrived, and the price had gone up...they priced the new product with the new price, and left the existing product with the old price.

So, it was wise to check the shelf, to find the best priced product!
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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by storewanderer »

I remember when Thrifty and Phar Mor went to scanning toward the 1992 or 1993 period, both had an odd system where the item was scanned but the cashier had to manually enter the price of the item from the price sticker.

No sooner did the Thriftys in NV get the scanners working to the point where the price came right up when the item was scanned than did they go into liquidation mode.

I also remember Osco had a very cumbersome department number system for ringing items up, where there were I don't even know how many departments... but it was a lot...
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Re: CA Big A/Drug Emporium/Drug Barn

Post by luckysaver »

The Covina Drug Emporium store was slated to be a Walgreens in late 2009/early 2010, but then sometime mid-year, the Walgreens banner disappeared and the store is still vacant as of after Christmas 2010.

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