City to lose longtime local drugstore
Del Negro Pharmacy will close on MondayBy BILL ACKERBAUER, The Leader-Herald
Article Photos
GLOVERSVILLE - Del Negro Pharmacy, the city's last independent drugstore, will close its doors Monday.
"It's the end of an era," said pharmacist Tom Wojciechowski, who has been associated with the 47 S. Main St. business for 36 years and has owned it for the past 20.
Del Negro Pharmacy had been filling prescriptions for Gloversville residents for more than 70 years, he said.
Wojciechowski said Del Negro has been bought out by Rite Aid Corp., which operates a drugstore on North Main Street that had previously been Eckerd Drug.
Wojciechowski said he and the national drugstore chain worked out a "mutually beneficial agreement" in which his customers' prescrition information will be transferred to Rite Aid. He did not disclose the financial particulars of the arrangement.
He said Rite Aid agreed to continue offering services that Del Negro customers appreciate, including home delivery and charge accounts. He said the Gloversville Rite Aid will be the only chain drugstore in this part of the state that offers home delivery.
Wojciechowski and most of the staff from Del Negro will be employed at the North Main Street Rite Aid store. He said he will work there for at least a year to ensure a "seamless transition" for his customers.
"My customers have been terrific over the years," he said. "Very loyal."
The time was right to accept an offer for the business, Wojciechowski said, because at age 60 he's starting to think about retirement.
"It's getting to be a very difficult business for an independent," he said. "The fact that [Gloversville's] last independent is closing is sad."
The Glove Cities area has seen numerous changes in drugstores in recent years:
After Rite Aid Corp. bought out the Eckerd and Brooks chains, the former Eckerd Drug store at the Johnstown mall was closed. A Rite Aid store remains on the corner of Routes 30A and 29 (Briggs Street) in Johnstown.
A CVS drugstore at 40-42 E. Main St. in
Johnstown closed in January. Its customers' prescription information was transferred to a CVS store that remains at the former Ames Plaza on Route 30A just outside Gloversville.
Walgreens, the country's largest retail pharmacy chain, recently opened a store on Route 30 in Amsterdam. Another is under construction on Route 30A outside Gloversville.
Longtime Del Negro customer Lenora Evans of Pearl Street said Friday she was disappointed to learn the store will close, and on such short notice.
"They've been so dependable for so many years," she said. "Small [business] people seem to care more."
Evans said she won't feel as comfortable patronizing Rite Aid.
"It's not a hometown store," she said. "It's sad that another big box is going to swallow another little box."
When Del Negro closes at the end of business Monday, only two independently owned drugstores will remain in Fulton County: the Broadalbin Pharmacy and Palmer Pharmacy at 2 E. Main St. in Johnstown.
Carole Deyoe, a pharmacist at Palmer, said it's unfortunate the area will lose one of its few remaining independent drugstores.
But business is good at Palmer, she said, and that pharmacy's owners, Tom Friello and Tina Mylott, have no plans to relinquish its spot on the corner of Main and Perry streets.
"We're rockin'," Deyoe said. "In fact, we just hired another pharmacist."
Wojciechowski said he isn't sure what will be done with the Del Negro building, which he owns with his wife.
He said most of Del Negro's medical supplies business, in which it sold and rented wheelchairs and other equipment, will not continue at Rite Aid.
He said he has been negotiating with another party to take over that part of the business.
Wojciechowski if he weren't approaching retirement age, he would have liked to continue running the independent pharmacy.
"I've loved it," he said. "It was hard to sit down and actually sign the papers."
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LoyalSocialist
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07-14-08 2:57 PM
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Yeah its still there, but I believe its not an actual pharmacy anymore. Its some sort of healthy food/body spa store.
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teebzz
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07-14-08 1:24 PM
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does that old style drugstore in saratoga springs still exist? u walk in and it takes u back to the old days... even before i was born type of old days. i cant recall the name.
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LoyalSocialist
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07-14-08 9:10 AM
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To everyone that wants super wal-mart: Thank you for taking away another locally owned business. Your pal, LS
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xyz123
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07-14-08 5:18 AM
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Sad is the only word to say. I hope Palmers stays for a long time, They are very nice folks.
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tiger69bikes
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07-12-08 12:37 PM
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Wow,another local icon gone. Good luck in your retiremen , Tom. ( An old JHS classmate.)
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davNlyn
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07-12-08 11:43 AM
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*sigh* approaching retirement age. I went to school with Bud's sister Jean and Bud was two years ahead of us. Good luck to you. Relax and Enjoy yourself.
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Jtaylor
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07-12-08 11:06 AM
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I agree with alot of u. Its going to be different not haveing the store open, but we must remember that times do change and at the time things arent all so great. Besides, The owner had said he is up in age and ready to relax some.Not all indepdant owners can carry on as was stated. So others should be thankful that other stores are taken there spots. Just my thoughts
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Bill
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07-12-08 11:06 AM
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Tom Wojciechowski ..Thanks for all your years. Have a long and happy retirement
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mmmmmm
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07-12-08 9:34 AM
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It sounds like people are thinking big box stores are closing him down the way I read it was he's getting ready to retire so he looked at rite aid to take over customers and see if rite aid could do some of the things he does like home delivery..People have to relize not everyone works to 80 years old or have a family member to take over the business. It was probably the easiest way for the owner to just have Rite aid take over.
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fenny23
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07-12-08 9:32 AM
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JUSTME2008 I have heard from very reliable sources that the delivery service that Rite Aid will offer is only for a certain period of time and will be discontinued in the short term. If anyone hasn't noticed. The original Eckerd Store (now Rite Aid of course) has been going through a renovation and remodel for quite some time now. The pharmacy has doubled in size to accomodate not only the increase in prescriptions from Del ***** customers but also to take on the customers from the Rite Aid across the street when that store closes. Two more vacant buildings on Main Street. I certainly saw one coming but not the other.
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FREEDOM
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07-12-08 8:50 AM
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This is a shame but its the start of alot of small businesswhich will be closing as corperate chain stores take over.
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JUSTME2008
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07-12-08 7:34 AM
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This was a shocker to read "everyone" in G'ville knows this pharmacy.... very kind and caring people. I think it's horrible that independant stores are getting eaten up by big named stores, especially in small areas. Someday they won't exist anywhere... it's sad. Much of the personal relationships will be forgotten. I am happy to hear that Rite-Aid is continuing home delivery service... I hope this continues for all the people that depend on it. I personally wish the staff the best of luck and thank you very much for all the years of service. You were definitely appreciated.
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sbdknitter
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07-12-08 7:00 AM
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This is such terrible news to my family and me. We have dealt with Del *****'s for over 26 years. It has been comforting to know that you would always be greeted by name when you walked in, they would answer any questions we'd have when the kids would be sick and when money was tight and we had to have a prescription filled there was the option to charge it until we could pay the bill.
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