Mystery drugstore chain in central PA

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JoshAustin610
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Posts: 49
Joined: 26 Feb 2009 22:03

Mystery drugstore chain in central PA

Post by JoshAustin610 »

I've noticed there's a cluster of Rite Aids in central PA that all have similar store numbers; usually with Rite Aid and many other chains this means those stores were part of an acquired chain (some other examples are Lane Drugs in central NJ in 1990, White Shield in central/ northeast PA in the early 90s, and Edgehill Pharmacy in southern DE and eastern MD which were acquired in 1999). I can't find info on what the stores were since Googling anything involving Rite Aid and central PA turns up too many answers to sift through (due to the company HQ being there. Here are the stores if anyone can give me info; many have relocated however:

3607: Carlisle, relocation; current address is 1804 Spring St
3608: Harrisburg, relocation; current address is 1941 Derry St
3609: Chambersburg, relocation; current address is 415 E. Queen St
3610: Columbia, 1786 Columbia St near Weis and former Jamesway
3611: Enola, 455 N. Enola St near former A&P/ Super Fresh and Kmart
3612: Hanover, relocation then closed; last address was 825 Baltimore St (across from shopping center with Giant and former Hill's)
3613: Mechanicsburg, relocation; original address was 5301 Simpson Ferry Rd near demolished and rebuilt Giant
3615: Waynesboro, closed; 644 E. Main near Kmart and former Jubilee Foods
3620: Lancaster, relocation: current address is 1550 Columbia Ave (near shopping center with Giant)
JoshAustin610
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Re: Mystery drugstore chain in central PA

Post by JoshAustin610 »

I've since found out the answer; these stores were Gray Drug Fair stores, which was acquired by Rite Aid in 1988 as one of their biggest at the time (356 stores). The stores in this area operated under the "Drugfair" name, but had nothing to do with the Drug Fair in NJ; the more Midwest stores went by "Gray Drug". These were the few in PA, but they also had stores in OH, WV, VA, NC, MD, and was their first entrance into DC. Also upon checking the opening dates, the Harrisburg store actually opened in 1995, so that was a new store, and the Lancaster store opened in 1988, so that may have been planned as a Drugfair but opened as a Rite Aid. There was also a store in Red Lion (store 3614), but I can't find any info on where that store was.
rich
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Location: Washington, DC

Re: Mystery drugstore chain in central PA

Post by rich »

Drug Fair was a DC-based chain, second fiddle to Peoples (now part of CVS). They were bought by Gray (based in Cleveland) which operated in Ohio, surrounding states & Florida. The Drug Fair name was retained until the Rite Aid buyout.
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