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A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 23 Dec 2018 00:38
by Groceteria
Anyone know anything about this (see attachments)? Clearly it didn't happen, but I'm now very curious. There doesn't seem to be anything about it in any of the assorted histories of A&P nor in Jack Eckerd's autobiography.

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 23 Dec 2018 14:16
by BillyGr
It appears to be a separate company from what we normally think of as Eckerd Drugstores) run by Jack.

In the Eckerd book (not sure if you have the same one), page 52 says "I travelled to California for a second time, to gather more information, >>again taking with me Ed O'Herron, my nephew who was in the drugstore business in North Carolina".

So these "Eckerd" stores were a separate company (it appears) from the what became larger Eckerd company that eventually was sold in parts to CVS and Brooks, who later was sold to Rite Aid.

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 23 Dec 2018 23:15
by Groceteria
Thanks.

I found an article in the Greensboro NC paper from June 1969 that states the merger talks had been discontinued.

I believe you are correct about the two separate companies, though I also believe that the two different companies were eventually merged into one entity (with A&P apparently out of the picture).

(EDIT: And it's Wikipedia to the rescue. The two different Eckerd companies apparently merged in 1977.)

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 27 Dec 2018 22:29
by rich
There also were the Eckerd companies in PA (the original business in Erie) and Delaware. I think these were merged into the other Eckerd business via JC Penney.

Interesting move for A&P at this time---they were in a steep decline at this time. I'm surprised any viable business would have wanted to be acquired by them.

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:06
by Steve Landry
Hello folks,

Long time away :-)

There were many talks with Eckerds back then about mergers, affiliations and even co-hosting shopping centers.

I believe prior to A&P there were serious talks (almost successful) with Food Fair.

Next up were talks with Publix (failed but both located stores right next to each other, formally and informally).

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 30 Dec 2018 22:29
by pseudo3d
rich wrote: 27 Dec 2018 22:29 Interesting move for A&P at this time---they were in a steep decline at this time. I'm surprised any viable business would have wanted to be acquired by them.
If A&P had played their cards right, they could've gotten a step up. "Super combo" stores like the joint operation between Skaggs Cos. and Albertsons were coming into play, and buying Eckerd meant that they could've converted their older stores into Eckerd, or built large Eckerd/A&P combo stores.

Steve Landry wrote: 28 Dec 2018 09:06 Hello folks,

Long time away :-)

There were many talks with Eckerds back then about mergers, affiliations and even co-hosting shopping centers.
A lot of the Safeway stores in the Houston division had Eckerd stores right next to them or in the same shopping centers. I wonder if Safeway was also on that list...

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 01 Jan 2019 12:59
by wnetmacman
pseudo3d wrote: 30 Dec 2018 22:29 A lot of the Safeway stores in the Houston division had Eckerd stores right next to them or in the same shopping centers. I wonder if Safeway was also on that list...
That was more of an Eckerd thing. In some areas, it was Safeway, in a large portion of the south, it was Winn Dixie (which, until the late 80's, didn't have pharmacies). It was synergy before synergy was a buzzword.

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 01 Jan 2019 13:15
by BillyGr
And also (both from the book, and as Steve mentioned above) the first was with Publix in Florida.

They had been working with another chain and that group sold out to a larger company that the Publix management didn't like.

Therefore, they got in touch with Eckerd to offer him 5 locations (and as he only had 5 existing stores at the time, basically a quick doubling of the company size).

In addition, after that he got "first call" on building stores at other sites of new Publix stores as they went along (which is basically what that other company had had before they sold out).

Re: A&P/Eckerd Drung proposed merger, 1969

Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:27
by Steve Landry
Pretty much what happened.

:-)

Food Fair had quite a number of Eckerds right next door but Food Fair's real estate division (very powerful) was notorious
for their malfeasance with fellow tenants and other parties.