The chain drug industry showed signs last year of regaining some lost luster.
Volume advanced 8.2%, still well shy of the dramatic growth rates of the late 1990s but better than the 8% of 2002.
Moreover, the channel posted that gain with just 263 more outlets than it had the preceding year, getting much of the growth from same-store sales.
New-store growth should be back on the upswing this year, with a resurgent Rite Aid Corp. joining Walgreen Co. and CVS Corp. in leading the industry's expansion. Rite Aid plans to cement its turnaround with 75 openings by next February, while Walgreens will continue to steamroll toward the 7,000-unit mark with 350 debuts this year. For its part, CVS recently …
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