Eckerd Corporation
| Company type | Private (1898–1961) Public (1961–1997) Subsidiary (1997–2007) In-name-only (2007–present) |
|---|---|
| NYSE: ECK (1961–1997) | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1898 Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Fate | Acquired by Jean Coutu Group following the divestiture of 1,271 stores to CVS Jean Coutu's U.S. division was divested to Rite Aid in 2007, and all ex-PJC stores, including Eckerd, were converted to Rite Aids Eckerd Corporation itself remains an active in-name-only subsidiary of Rite Aid Corporation. |
| Successor | Rite Aid CVS Pharmacy |
| Headquarters | Largo, Florida, U.S. (as Eckerd) Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S. (under Jean Coutu) |
| Products | |
| Parent | JCPenney (1996–2004) Jean Coutu Group (2004–2007) Rite Aid (2007–present) |
| Website | eckerd.com (2006 archive) |
Eckerd Corporation was an American pharmacy retail chain that was headquartered in Largo, Florida, and toward the end of its life, in Warwick, Rhode Island. At its peak, Eckerd was the second-largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with approximately 2,802 stores in 23 states as far west as Arizona.
An independent chain for most of its existence, Eckerd was purchased by JCPenney in 1996. Following years of losses and failed attempts to turn around the company, the chain was divided in 2004, with 1,271 of its stores, and its mail-order business, sold to competitor CVS, and the remainder acquired by Jean Coutu Group through its U.S. division. Jean Coutu sold the chain to Rite Aid in 2007, and its name was phased out soon thereafter and replaced with the Rite Aid name.