Big B Drugs

Big B Drugs

Industry	Drugstore
Founded	1968
Defunct	1996
Fate	Purchased by Revco (1996)
Headquarters	Birmingham, Alabama

Big B, Inc. was a drugstore chain headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Originally a division of Bruno's Supermarket, it eventually became an independent entity. The majority of Big B outlets were situated adjacent to Bruno's, Food World, or FoodMax supermarkets. Additionally, the company operated a discount pharmacy brand known as Drugs For Less.

The chain's presence spanned Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi, with all locations positioned within a 400-mile radius of its distribution hub in Birmingham, Alabama. By the close of 1996, Big B generated nearly $800 million in revenue (approximately $Template:Format price adjusted for inflation) and ranked as the tenth largest drugstore chain nationwide.

History

Big B commenced operations in 1968 as part of Birmingham-based Bruno's Supermarkets. In July 1977, the chain's 38 stores were restructured into a separate subsidiary distinct from Bruno's Supermarkets. By 1981, it was officially spun off as an independent company named Big B, Inc., headquartered in Bessemer, Alabama.

From 1982 through 1986, Big B expanded beyond Alabama by opening 32 additional stores: 12 in Georgia, 10 in Florida's panhandle region, seven in Mississippi, and three in Tennessee. At the conclusion of fiscal year 1986, the company operated a total of 150 Big B locations. Alongside these were five B-Mart combination stores, four Big B Home Health Care Centers, and a Drugs For Less discount outlet. In 1989, Big B acquired 85 stores from Reed Drug and Lee Drug chains owned by Peoples Drug, thereby establishing a footprint in Atlanta, northern Georgia, and western Alabama. These acquired locations were rebranded under the Big B banner.

By 1990, the chain celebrated its 300th store opening and undertook expansion of its distribution facilities. At that time, it operated 16 Drugs For Less stores. In 1992, Big B introduced a mail-order prescription service and purchased a nursing home pharmacy operation. The following year, in 1993, it acquired 45 Treasury Drug outlets from JCPenney's Thrift Drug division for $16.5 million.

In September 1996, Revco launched a hostile takeover attempt targeting Big B, which then operated 397 stores across five states. By November of the same year, Big B consented to the acquisition. However, within months Revco itself was purchased by CVS. By late 1997, all former Big B Drugs and Revco stores were rebranded as CVS/Pharmacy.