Groceteria.com

Has anyone noticed that both Albertsons and Kroger have owned drugstores called "Sav-on"? Is there any relation at all?

There is no connection. Albertson's got the Sav-on name with the American Stores merger/buyout. Kroger just used it here and there.

Is either descended from Skaggs? And when did Kroger use that name? Which one would this have been?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N00/4789360054/

Ephrata1966 wrote: Which one would this have been?:

Being that there is a SuperX reference, I'd be more inclined to say Kroger. Most of the Sav-On drugstores connected to Albertsons/American Stores Co., were on the west coast, with the exception of the Albertsons/Sav-On combos we now have in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida.

Kroger acquired the Sav-on name through the purchase of a small east coast drug chain in the 1950s or 1960s, as I recall. I'm thinking the chain was in New York or New Jersey.

I'm pretty sure this has been discussed here before, but I can't seem to find the thread tonight.

The Kroger Sav-on Chain was based in New Jersey and it was owned by James Herring, who was instrumental in the modernization of Kroger in the late 60s and 70s as the CEO with the introduction of the Superstores. the SuperX drugstores were spawned from this chain

That seems really strange Kroger would buy a New York/New Jersey chain, since it was far from their own territory. But I wonder who copied the name, since it is an unusual name.

Did most Kroger greenhouses have pharmacies? Were they all called Sav-on? Were there any Kroger Sav-ons in the Houston area?

By the way, I meant to post this in the "drugstore chains" category.

Ephrata1966 wrote:Did most Kroger greenhouses have pharmacies? Were they all called Sav-on? Were there any Kroger Sav-ons in the Houston area?

Several greenhouse stores had an attached store that was used for SuperX or another competitor. Others had an internal pharmacy. It really depended on the territory.

Most of the stores in the Houston and Dallas territories had internal pharmacies. Kroger did not use the Sav-On name in Texas.

SuperX was a "competitor"?

Ephrata1966 wrote:SuperX was a "competitor"?

I think wnetmacman was referring to the fact that the attached drug store was sometimes a competing store rather than SuperX.

Groceteria wrote:

Ephrata1966 wrote:SuperX was a "competitor"?

I think wnetmacman was referring to the fact that the attached drug store was sometimes a competing store rather than SuperX.

Correct. Sometimes it was Eckerd, sometimes Revco. And sometimes it ended up as something else like Big Lots. It just depended on the area, and whether Kroger could put a pharmacy.