Bartell Drugs
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Short description|Regional pharmacy chain based in Seattle}}
{{Infobox company
| name = The Bartell Drug Company
| logo = Bartell Drugs (logo).gif
| type = Subsidiary
| founder = George H. Bartell, Sr.
| homepage = {{URL|bartelldrugs.com}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|1890}} in Seattle, Washington
| location = Des Moines, Washington
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| locations = 41{{cite web |title=Find a Store |url=https://www.bartelldrugs.com/store-locator/ |publisher=Bartell Drugs |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}
| area_served = Seattle metropolitan area
| parent = Rite Aid
}}
The Bartell Drug Company, commonly known as Bartell Drugs or "Bartell's", is an American chain of pharmacies in the Puget Sound region of the State of Washington. The company was founded in 1890 in Seattle and grew to primarily serve the surrounding metropolitan area. Bartell was believed to be the nation's oldest existing family-owned drugstore chain{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Rob|date=June 16, 2002|title=Family-owned Bartell Drug still strong after 112 years|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2002/06/17/focus19.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=Puget Sound Business Journal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021214100826/http://www.bizjournals.com:80/seattle/stories/2002/06/17/focus19.html |archive-date=December 14, 2002 }} until it was sold to Rite Aid in 2020.
History
=1890 to 1956=
Bartell Drugs was founded in 1890 when George H. Bartell Sr. (1868–1956) purchased the Lake Washington Pharmacy at 2711 South Jackson Street in Seattle's Central District.[https://www.bartelldrugs.com/our-story/ the Story of BartellDrugs.com] A second store was opened in 1898 in Downtown Seattle at 506 Second Ave. In 1900, George H. Bartell Sr., sold the foundational Jackson Street store. In 1904, George H. Bartell Sr. opened another store at 610 Second Ave. Another location was opened four years later, in 1908, in front of Pike Place Market. In 1911, the 506 Second Avenue was closed and demolished to make space for the Smith Tower.{{cite web|url=https://www.historylink.org/File/9317 |publisher= HistoryLink.org |title= Bartell, George H. Sr. (1868-1956) |date=February 12, 2010 |accessdate=July 23, 2019}}
As of 1930, there were 15 total stores. Bartell Sr. handed the reins to his son, George H. Bartell Jr., in 1939. At the time of Bartell Sr.'s death in 1956, the Bartell family owned 23 drug stores.
=1956 to 1984=
The company underwent contraction over the following years, with only 12 drug stores remaining in 1961 under the founder's grandson, George D. Bartell. In 1966, seventy-six years after the company was founded, a 13th drug store was opened outside of King County in Edmonds, Washington. Over the following fourteen years the Bartell family opened an additional four stores, totaling 17 Bartell Drug stores by 1980.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}
=1990s=
Over the following ten years the Bartell family had opened an additional fourteen stores, totaling 31 Bartell Drug stores by the year 1990, its centennial. One hundred years after being founded, Bartell Drugs finally expanded outside of the Seattle area by opening a Bartell Drug store in Gig Harbor, Pierce County, on the Kitsap Peninsula in 1991. Jean Bartell Barber, the founder's granddaughter, joined the company in 1993. [https://www.bartelldrugs.com/our-story/jean-bartell-barber-vice-chairman-and-treasurer/ Jean Bartell Barber ~ Treasurer and Vice Chairman]
=2000 and beyond=
George D. Bartell, the founder's grandson, served as Chairman and held the role of CEO until 2015. Former REI executive Brian Unmacht became the first non-family member CEO in the company's history in April 2015,{{Cite web|last=González|first=Ángel|date=April 29, 2015|title=Former REI executive becomes Bartell Drugs' fourth CEO|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/former-rei-executive-becomes-bartell-drugs-fourth-ceo/|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107052949/http://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/former-rei-executive-becomes-bartell-drugs-fourth-ceo/ |archive-date=January 7, 2016 }} with Jean Bartell Barber, serving as Vice Chairman and Treasurer. Unmacht, originally hired in January 2015, as President,{{Cite web|last=González|first=Ángel|date=January 7, 2015|title=Former REI executive named Bartell Drugs' new president|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/former-rei-executive-named-bartell-drugsrsquo-new-president/|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US}} resigned in March 2017 after two years.{{Cite web|last=Tu|first=Janet I.|date=April 7, 2017|title=Bartell Drugs CEO resigns after two years as first outsider to run the chain|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/bartell-drugs-ceo-resigns/|url-status=live|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407212402/http://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/bartell-drugs-ceo-resigns/ |archive-date=April 7, 2017 }}
Amazon contracted with Bartell Drugs to be the first drugstore to use same-day Prime Now delivery for its non-pharmaceutical goods.{{cite news |last=Bishop |first=Todd |date=November 15, 2016 |title=Amazon to offer Prime Now delivery from Bartell Drugs, connecting old Seattle retail with new |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-offer-prime-now-delivery-bartell-drugs-connecting-old-seattle-retail-new/ |work=GeekWire |accessdate=March 3, 2024}} In January 2018, Bartell Drugs announced that it had hired a new CEO, Kathi Lentzsch; she was the second CEO in the company's history to be hired from outside of the Bartell family.{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Megan |date=July 15, 2019 |title=CEO Kathi Lentzsch weighs Bartell Drugs' future in downtown Seattle |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/07/15/kathi-lentzsch-weighs-bartell-drugs-seattle-future.html |work=Puget Sound Business Journal |url-access=subscription |accessdate=March 3, 2024}} The company began offering CBD products for sale at its stores in 2018.[https://www.bartelldrugs.com/blog/what-is-cbd/ Bartell Drugs blog - What is CBD] As of February 2019 there were 68 stores in the Puget Sound region; each location featured its own neighborhood-specific features and products.[https://www.bartelldrugs.com/more-than-128-years-of-loving-and-living-local/ Bartell Drugs - More than 128 years of loving and living local] Lentzsch departed the company in December 2020, after its acquisition by Rite Aid.{{cite report|title=Form 10-K: 4Front Ventures Corp. Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021 |url= https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001783875/000119312522107050/d314091d10k.htm|publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission|date=2022-04-18|page=64|access-date=2024-03-24}}
=Acquisition by Rite Aid=
On October 7, 2020, the company announced that it would be sold to Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid for $95 million.{{cite web |title=Bartell Drugs, a local, family owned business for 130 years, to be sold to Rite Aid for $95 million |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/bartell-drugs-a-local-family-owned-business-for-130-years-to-be-sold-to-rite-aid-for-95-million/ |work=The Seattle Times |date=October 7, 2020 |last=Roberts |first=Paul |accessdate=October 7, 2020}} At the time of the sale, Bartell Drugs had 69 locations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. The acquisition was completed on December 18.{{Cite report|title=Form 10-K: Rite Aid Corporation Annual Report For Fiscal Year Ended February 27, 2021|accessdate=July 26, 2021|date=April 27, 2021|url=https://s27.q4cdn.com/633053956/files/doc_financials/2020/ar/463cc97b-fbb0-4d03-b265-b6789e60e782.pdf|publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission|page=106}} By 2023, five locations in Seattle had been closed by Rite Aid, including a flagship store in the Chinatown–International District neighborhood.{{cite news |last=Geraldo |first=Renata |date=July 25, 2023 |title=Bartell Drugs location in downtown Seattle to close this month |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/bartell-drugs-location-in-downtown-seattle-to-close-this-month/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 25, 2023}}{{cite news |last=Geraldo |first=Renata |date=June 29, 2023 |title=Rite Aid closes another Bartell Drugs in Seattle amid financial struggles |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/rite-aid-closes-another-bartells-in-seattle-amid-financial-struggles/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 25, 2023}} A sixth Seattle store in Lower Queen Anne, the chain's only 24-hour pharmacy in the city, closed in September 2023.{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Paul |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Another Seattle Bartell Drugs to close amid Rite Aid bankruptcy rumors |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/another-seattle-bartell-drugs-to-close-amid-rite-aid-bankruptcy-rumors/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=August 30, 2023}}
On October 15, 2023, amid several opioid lawsuits and legal battles, Rite Aid filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.{{Cite news|last=Goldman|first=David|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/15/business/rite-aid-bankrupty-hnk-intl/index.html|title=Rite Aid files for bankruptcy|date=October 15, 2023|access-date=October 16, 2023|website=CNN|language=en}} By the end of December, 21 Bartell Drugs locations open at the time of the acquisition had closed, including the flagship store on 5th Avenue and five other locations in Downtown Seattle.{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Paul |date=December 15, 2023 |title=What the loss of downtown Seattle's last Bartell Drugs says about the chain's decline |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/what-the-loss-of-downtown-seattles-last-bartell-drugs-says-about-the-chains-decline/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=December 16, 2023}} Since the acquisition, customers have also complained of poor service and unavailable products.{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Paul |date=November 17, 2023 |title=With a quarter of its locations gone, Bartell's future uncertain |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/with-a-quarter-of-its-locations-gone-bartells-future-uncertain/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=November 17, 2023}} {{As of|January 2025}}, the chain has 40 listed locations, with the University Village location closing its doors on January 23. {{cite news |last=Esteban |first=Joseph |date=January 23, 2025 |title= Bartell Drugs bids farewell to University Village |url= https://www.dailyuw.com/news/bartell-drugs-bids-farewell-to-university-village/article_7983f554-d957-11ef-812e-8fd47cb75079.html |work=The Daily UW |accessdate=January 23, 2025}}
On May 5, 2025, Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in 2 years, listing assets and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion. Rite Aid will sell all of its assets as part of its procedure, as it overcomes financial challenges such as debt, increased competition, and inflation, including Bartell Drugs. The company also has plans to eliminate jobs after failure to secure financing, as well as closing additional locations if necessary.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/rite-aid-intends-file-second-bankruptcy-announces-job-cuts-bloomberg-news-2025-05-05/|title=Rite Aid files for second bankruptcy in two years|first=Dietrich|last=Knauth|date=May 5, 2025|access-date=May 5, 2025|website=Reuters|language=en}}
Legacy and influence
In December 2004 Harvey Danger, an alternative rock band from Seattle, released the EP Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes), which mentions Bartell Drugs in the second verse.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ogxQsMxO8 Harvey Danger - Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas with lyrics]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official site|http://www.bartelldrugs.com}}
- [http://www.metropolis7.com/bartell.html Metropolis 7 - Bartell Drugs] Advertising agency discusses the advertisements that it created for Bartell Drugs
{{Coord|47.56135|N|122.334755|W|display=t}}
{{Rite Aid}}
Category:American companies established in 1890
Category:1890 establishments in Washington (state)
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025
Category:Pharmacies of the United States
Category:Companies based in Seattle
Category:Retail companies established in 1890
Category:Health care companies based in Washington (state)