Jean Coutu Group

The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. is a Canadian pharmacy chain based in Varennes, Quebec. The company operates over 400 franchised locations across Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick under the banners PJC Jean Coutu, PJC Clinique, and PJC Santé. At its peak, it was the third-largest distributor and retailer of pharmaceuticals and related products in North America, managing nearly 2,200 drugstores. The company formerly operated in the United States through its subsidiary, The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA, Inc., under the Brooks Pharmacy and Eckerd Drugs brands. These U.S. operations were sold to Rite Aid in 2007; although the subsidiary remains legally active under Rite Aid, all its stores have since been rebranded.

The company is also known for its popular private label, "Personnelle", which includes a wide variety of products like cosmetics, paper goods, and pharmaceutical items. Since 2017, the company's main distribution warehouse is based in Varennes, Quebec, taking over from its longtime facility in Longueuil (1976–2015). There's also a major warehouse in Hawkesbury, Ontario, which has been operating since 2005.

History

The company was co-founded in 1969 by Jean Coutu and Louis Michaud, as a pharmacy in the east end of Montreal under the name Pharm-Escomptes Jean Coutu.

Jean Coutu Group USA

Coutu's U.S. subsidiary, Warwick, Rhode Island–based Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA, Inc., operated primarily along the east coast, under the Brooks Pharmacy banner in New England and Eckerd Pharmacy from Upstate New York and Pennsylvania south to Georgia. Coutu sold off its U.S. operations in a deal with Rite Aid in 2007. (Despite this, the subsidiary itself remains active as an in-name only subsidiary of Rite Aid Corporation, also notwithstanding the rebranding of the ex-Coutu chains as Rite Aids in 2007.) Coutu had purchased Brooks in 1994 from the now-defunct Revco drug chain. (Revco had acquired Brooks a few months earlier as part of its acquisition of Hook's-SupeRx, Inc, once a large operator of several pharmacy chains.)

In mid-2004, Coutu acquired more than half of the Eckerd store network (mainly units along the eastern seaboard) from department store retailer J.C. Penney. It continued to operate those stores under the Eckerd name. (The remainder of Eckerd's stores were sold to CVS Pharmacy.) From 1999 to 2004 the chain was the second fastest-growing retailer in the world. In the second quarter of 2005, the company recorded a $19.7 million US foreign exchange loss on items related to the Eckerd acquisition. On August 24, 2006, Rite Aid announced that it would acquire 1,858 Jean Coutu's Eckerd and Brooks U.S. operations for $1.45 billion in cash and issuing stock, giving Jean Coutu a 32% equity stake in Rite Aid.[6] Rite Aid announced the acquisition completed on June 4, 2007.[7]

In July 2013, Coutu proceeded to the sale of its last shares of Rite Aid that it held. Jean Coutu no longer holds any shares of Rite Aid.

In 2023, Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[8] Despite Jean Coutu being separated from Rite Aid 10 years prior, Jean Coutu was still listed in the filing.[9]

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 Jean Coutu USA.[10]

type	Subsidiary
key people	Jean Coutu
industry	Retail
products	Pharmacy
revenue	$2977.9 million (2017)‡R1R‡
num employees	20 000 (2016)‡R2R‡
parent	Metro Inc. (2018–present)
homepage	http://www.jeancoutu.com
foundation	1969
location city	Varennes, Quebec
location country	Canada

History

Jean Coutu Group USA

Jean Coutu Controversies

Main competitors

External links

References