Big B Drugs
Encyclopedia
Big B, Inc. was a Birmingham
, Alabama
-based drugstore
chain. The company began operation in 1968 as division of Birmingham based Bruno's Supermarkets
. Most of its stores were located next to a Bruno's, Food World or FoodMax. Big B also operated a discount drugstore chain called Drugs For Less. The company had close to $800 million in revenue by the end of 1996.
In 1982, Big B was spun off from the Bruno's Supermarkets into an independent company, Big B, Inc., based in Bessemer, Alabama
. In 1989, Big B acquired 85 Reed Drug and Lee Drug stores from Peoples Drug
, giving them a presence in Atlanta, north Georgia and western Alabama. A few years later, Big B acquired 80 "Treasury Drug" stores from JC Penney's Thrift Drug division. Big B was finally becoming a major drug retailer in the Atlanta area.
In 1996, Big B was acquired by Revco
, and within a year Revco was acquired by CVS. By the end of 1997, all Big B Drugs and Revco were operating as CVS/Pharmacy.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
-based drugstore
Drugstore
Drugstore is a common American term for a type of store centrally featuring a pharmacy. Drugstores sell not only medicines, but also miscellaneous items such as candy, cosmetics, and magazines, as well as light refreshments....
chain. The company began operation in 1968 as division of Birmingham based Bruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Supermarkets
Bruno's Supermarkets, LLC is an American chain of grocery stores founded in 1932 by Joe Bruno in Birmingham, Alabama. It previously operated over 230 stores under the names Bruno’s, Food World, Foodmax, Food Fair, Fresh Value, Vincent's Markets, Piggly Wiggly, Consumer Foods, and American Fare in...
. Most of its stores were located next to a Bruno's, Food World or FoodMax. Big B also operated a discount drugstore chain called Drugs For Less. The company had close to $800 million in revenue by the end of 1996.
In 1982, Big B was spun off from the Bruno's Supermarkets into an independent company, Big B, Inc., based in Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
. In 1989, Big B acquired 85 Reed Drug and Lee Drug stores from Peoples Drug
Peoples Drug
Peoples Drug was a chain of drug stores based in Alexandria, VA, a suburb of Washington, D.C.. Founded in 1904, Peoples was subsequently purchased by Lane Drug in 1975, Imasco in 1984, and finally by CVS in 1990, which continued to run the stores under the Peoples banner until 1994, at which time...
, giving them a presence in Atlanta, north Georgia and western Alabama. A few years later, Big B acquired 80 "Treasury Drug" stores from JC Penney's Thrift Drug division. Big B was finally becoming a major drug retailer in the Atlanta area.
In 1996, Big B was acquired by Revco
Revco
Revco Discount Drug Stores , once based in Twinsburg, Ohio, was a major drug store chain operating through the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Southeastern United States. The chain's stock was traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RXR...
, and within a year Revco was acquired by CVS. By the end of 1997, all Big B Drugs and Revco were operating as CVS/Pharmacy.