Cunningham Drug (U.S.)

For the unrelated Canadian chain, see Cunningham Drug (Canada).

Cunningham Drug
IndustryRetail
FoundedOctober 1889
Defunct1982
FateAcquired
SuccessorVarious
HeadquartersDetroit, Michigan, USA
Key people
Andrew Cunningham – founder
ProductsRetail, Pharmacy

Cunningham Drug was a drugstore chain based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in October 1889 by Andrew Cunningham, the chain operated primarily within the state of Michigan, and was once the largest drugstore chain in the state. Its Michigan locations were closed and reopened in 1982 as Apex Drug, and were later sold to Perry Drug Stores. The last stores remained open in Florida until 1991, when they were sold to Walgreens.

History

A former Cunningham Drug (later Perry Drug and then Rite Aid) in Oscoda, Michigan. Since this picture was taken, the building has been re-tenanted by Goodwill Industries.

Andrew Cunningham opened the first Cunningham drug store in Detroit in October 1889 when he purchased a storefront on at 264 Joseph Campau Avenue.[1] By 1914, he owned five stores under different names. After 25 years in business, he moved his Standard Drug store from 14 Gratiot Avenue to 155 Woodward Avenue and consolidated all locations under the Cunningham's name.[2]

In 1931, the 50-store Economical Drug chain, also based in Detroit, consolidated with Cunningham, which at the time had thirteen stores.[3][4] Economical Drug owner Nate Shapero assumed control of the Cunningham chain and Andrew Cunningham served as president.[5] The combined company was Economical-Cunningham before shortening to Cunningham.[6] Cunningham announced a merger with Marshall Drug Co. of Cleveland, Ohio in 1940.[7][8] By October 1956, the company owned four drug store chains that operated 190 units in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and California.[9]

In 1958, the company purchased seven Broward Drug Stores in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, upping its store count to 198 across six states.[10] It also purchased Kinsel Drug Co. of Detroit in 1959.[11][12] Following the merger, Cunningham became the largest drugstore chain in Michigan.[3] An effort was made by the United States Department of Justice to dissolve the Kinsel merger, citing that it was in violation of the Clayton Antitrust Act.[13] The dissolution was canceled in 1963.[14] By 1961, there were 206 stores based mainly in the Detroit and Cleveland markets.[15]

An acquisition of Whelan Drug in Florida added fourteen more Cunningham locations to the state in 1964.[16] By 1965, the chain had 214 stores and was considered the second largest in the industry.[1] In 1971, the chain sold 28 Florida stores to Gray Drug of Ohio.[17][18]

The company ran several drug stores under assumed named in certain markets.[1] Cunningham's also had some small drug stores branded as Schettler's in major hotels, such as the Sheraton-Cadillac in Detroit, and at high-end retail, such as at Somerset Mall in Troy, Michigan.[19] In the 1960s, a small number of Cunningham's were re-branded as Dot Discount, an experiment which did not expand further, but which lasted a couple decades, some years after all Cunningham's had closed in the Detroit area.

The chain sold off 29 of its Michigan stores in 1982 to a private company, which re-branded them as Apex Drug.[20][21] Three years later, most of the Apex locations were sold to Perry Drug Stores, another chain based in the Detroit metropolitan area.[22]

The remaining Cunningham stores were gradually sold off or shuttered.[23][24] By late 1991, the last five in operation, all in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area, were sold to Walgreens.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c Fletcher, F. Marion (1967). Market Restraints in the Retail Drug Industry. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 23, 175, 178. ISBN 978-1-5128-1594-8.
  2. ^ Kennedy, Ezra K., ed. (1914). The Pharmaceutical Era. New York: D. O. Haynes & Company. pp. 533, 564.
  3. ^ a b "Businesses gone but not forgotten: A local legacy of risk-taking". Crain's Detroit Business. 27 June 2001. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Drug merger approved". The Wall Street Journal. 22 October 1931. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  5. ^ Bondono, Jeff (10 June 2023). "Cunningham Drug Company Building". www.jeffbondono.com. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  6. ^ Owen, Mabel M. (1947). Reports of the Tax Court of the United States: January 1, 1947 to June 30, 1947. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 104.
  7. ^ "Cunningham Drug may get Marshall chain of 42 stores". The Wall Street Journal. 11 October 1940. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Control of Marshall Drug by Cunningham firm likely". The Wall Street Journal. 6 December 1940. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  9. ^ "President Is Elected By Cunningham Drug". The New York Times. 4 October 1956. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Drug Chain Is Acquired". The New York Times. 31 March 1958. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Cunningham Drug Stores". The Wall Street Journal. 31 March 1958. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  12. ^ "Cunningham Drug-Kinsel Merger". The Wall Street Journal. 18 November 1958. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  13. ^ "Cunningham Drug denies Kinsel purchase violated antitrust act". The Wall Street Journal. 14 September 1960. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  14. ^ "Justice Agency ends bid to kill Cunningham's purchase of Kinsel Drug". The Wall Street Journal. 12 April 1963. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  15. ^ "CUNNINGHAM DRUG". The New York Times. 19 December 1961. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Cunningham takes over: Whelan Drugs sells out". The Miami News. 2 November 1964. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  17. ^ "Cunningham Drug Stores agrees to sell 28 units in Florida to Gray Drug". The Wall Street Journal. 31 March 1971. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  18. ^ "Cunningham Drug completes sale". The Wall Street Journal. 3 May 1971. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  19. ^ "1984 Press Photo Somerset Mall Schettler's Drugs lunch". Historic Images. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. ^ Klein, Pamela (22 June 1982). "Cunningham agrees to sell 29 drug stores". Ann Arbor News. Retrieved 14 August 2025 – via Ann Arbor District Library.
  21. ^ Pinto, David (18 August 2008). "Devine a link to industry's halcyon days". Chain Drug Review. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  22. ^ "Devine, new Affil./Assoc. prez, gears up for the '90s". Drug Store News. 10 September 1990. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  23. ^ "ERA COMES TO END AS INCREASE IN RENT CLOSES DRUG STORE". Sun Sentinel. 19 August 1987. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  24. ^ "SIGN OF THE TIMES GROWING DOMINANCE OF PHARMACY CHAINS MAY SIGNAL END OF CORNER DRUGSTORES". Sun Sentinel. 12 March 1989. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. ^ Altaner, David (4 December 1991). "Pharmacy chain buys A1A store: Cunningham's Drug sold to Walgreen Co". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
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