Category: default || By jt3y

I don't mean to turn the Almanac into a running commentary on retail stores (Alert Reader Steve does a good job of that already), but I can't help but comment on the news that Rite Aid is buying Eckerd Drugs.

Since Western Pennsylvania is prime territory for both companies, undoubtedly, a lot of local stores are going to close, and I expect they will be the Eckerds, not the Rite Aids. The Rite Aids tend to be free-standing, newer locations --- at least in the Mon-Yough area --- while many of the Eckerd stores are in shopping centers.

When the new Rite Aid being built in the 11th Ward opens, watch for the Eckerd (formerly the Thrift Drug) in Olympia Shopping Center to close. And I won't be surprised if the Eckerd in Oak Park Mall closes as well.

Eckerd has struck me as a profoundly mismanaged chain for a long time. When J.C. Penney Co. purchased Eckerd and combined the stores with the Thrift Drug stores that Penney's already owned, they scrapped all vestiges of the Thrift operation.

That was a big mistake, since (for my money, at least) the Thrift stores --- though a little dowdy --- had a better range of merchandise and more selection than Eckerd stores.

Eckerds seem to always be "out" of certain staple items, don't stock many brand names in some lines of merchandise, and are always pushing "seasonal" toys and decorations in lieu of health and beauty items --- you know, the kinds of things people actually need at a drugstore.

Chain Store Age notes that when J.C. Penney Co. sold Eckerd two years ago, the buyer, Canadian drug store operator Jean Coutu, had to borrow $2.55 billion to finance the deal. According to CSA, that left Coutu "with scant financial resources to upgrade stores and improve customer service. ... As a result, Eckerd lost market share and the assets floundered."

When I was in Florida last year, I noticed a lot of Eckerd stores had closed --- and I was all over Florida, putting 1,200 miles on the rental car in a week. And everywhere there was a closed Eckerd, there was a new Walgreen's nearby.

It's worth noting, by the way, that Eckerd was long a Florida-based chain. If they couldn't compete on their own turf, they had little hope elsewhere, I think.

Speaking of Walgreen's --- I know some people still go into apoplexy at the thought that Chiodo's Tavern in Homestead was torn down to make way for Walgreen's.

But in all fairness to Walgreen's, they did a very admirable job building a store in Homestead that looks like it's been there since the 1920s (minus the graffiti and broken windows that characterize too many real 1920s buildings on Eighth Avenue). In fact, it's very attractive. And arguably, it's improved that end of the Homestead High-Level ... er, Greys ... er, Grays ... Bridge.

Also in fairness to Walgreen's, I love Walgreen's. My friends are tired of hearing about it by now, but both the store at Bill Green's Shopping Center and the one in Homestead are fantastic. Good selections, good prices, and the service is first-rate, too.

Now, I don't get my prescriptions at Walgreen's --- I get those from my neighborhood pharmacist --- but he doesn't carry stationery, film, batteries, shoelaces and all of the stuff you used to find in a five-and-10. I can get those at Walgreen's.

In fact, Walgreen's reminds of nothing so much as a Woolworth's or a Murphy's with a prescription counter in the back. In every way, today's big chain pharmacies are pretty much just the "variety stores" of 30 years ago.

Do I have a point? No, not really.

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Around The Town: I have nothing to add to Jonathan Potts' commentary over at The Conversation except, "I agree":

Why do so many Pittsburghers want to run away from our past? Part of it is old-fashioned elitism. A lot of people turn their noses up at blue-collar work, and they associate the steel industry with much of what they dislike about Pittsburgh -- like the way many residents talk, or their pathological devotion to the Steelers. It is also a reaction to the way many Pittsburghers cling too tightly to the past, which also is unhealthy. Yet it seems to me that we can work for the future without distorting or denying our past. Indeed, Pittsburgh's past provides many cautionary tales that we would do well to learn as we move forward--like the dangers in relying too heavily on a single industry for economic growth.

Meanwhile, Bob Braughler at Subdivided We Stand needs your help. He needs to give up his pooches --- it turns out that his young son is allergic to dogs.

If it were me, I'd be heartsick. Bob, who checks in here regularly, seems like a mensch, and these pups need a good home. If you can take one or both (especially if you live in the North Hills), stop over and tell him.

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Things I Found On The Internet While Looking For Other Things: The Internet Movie Car Database. Want to know which movies or TV shows featured Plymouth Volares? Hudson Hornets? AMC Matadors? Well, knock yourself out.

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To Do This Weekend: Friends of White Oak resident George Toney will hold a car cruise on Sunday at McKeesport Area High School to raise money for his medical treatment. Toney, a motorcycle buff, was injured in a car accident in May. Events begin at 12 noon (rain date is Sept. 10) and include music, an auction, and games for kids. Admission is free, but cars that are going to be exhibited pay a $15 entry fee (motorcycles pay $10). Call (412) 678-7379.