With the completion this week of its acquisition for 1260 Eckerd drug stores in nine southern states, CVS Pharmacy became America’s leading pharmacy retailer with more than 5,000 locations.



The acquisition affected 623 Eckerd locations in Florida, including the local Jasper unit. The total conversion from Eckerd to CVS will begin in Florida first and is expected to take from 12 to 18 months for completion.

According to CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis out of Rhode Island (parent company headquarters), extensive upgrades in appearance and service are slated for each individual unit. There will be no interruption of service during any of the transition stages at the Jasper store.



CVS, CEO Tom Ryan stated, “This is an important milestone in CVS’ history as we gain leading market share in the higher-growth southeast and southwest markets. We will be the most convenient pharmaceutical retailer with more stores that fill more prescriptions than any pharmacy in America.”



Parent company JC Penny sold the Florida based Eckerd chain for a reported $4.5 billion to CVS and Canada’s The Jean Coutu Group. CVS’ portion of the buyout, totaled $2.1 billion for the 1,260 Sunbelt stores, where the attractive older populations are booming.