Longs Drug March Same-Store Sales Rise

Walnut Creek, Calif. Longs Drug Stores Corp. said Thursday its March same-store sales rose 2.8%, crediting the shift of Easter sales into the month.

Front-end same-store sales rose 5.7%, while pharmacy sales edged up 0.1%, Longs said.

Total retail drug store sales for the five-week period ended April 3 rose 4.7% to $474 million, the company said.

Longs said its March sales benefited from the earlier Easter holiday season, but also was hurt by the introduction of several generic drugs that substitute for higher-priced brand name versions.