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LONGUEUIL, Quebec - Since acquiring some 1,500 Eckerd stores last July and skyrocketing to the No. 4 slot among the nation's largest drug chains, Brooks-Eckerd Pharmacy has been working at a feverish pace to bolster employee pride and reconnect with its consumers at the former Eckerd stores. Judging by numbers, the hard work appears to be paying off.
At the Jean Coutu Group's annual general meeting of shareholders held earlier this month in Quebec, Michel Coutu, BrooksEckerd president and chief executive officer, noted key financial achievements the company has made to date and provided shareholders with a glimpse of what is yet to come.
In health and beauty care, Brooks-Eckerd has placed the emphasis back on the category in the former Eckerd locations, both on the shelf and in the circulars. As a result, the company has reversed the negative sales at the former Eckerd stores. During the fourth quarter, sales in that category were up 1...