The History of F&M Drug Stores

Phar-Mor, Drug Emporium, and F&M were once the most powerful bargain drugstore chains in America. The industry was pioneered in Ferndale when Fred and Margaret Cohen opened the first F&M in 1955. The Cohen’s business strategy was selling brand-name products at bargain prices, relying on word-of-mouth advertising, and banking on stock-up shopping popular in more affluent areas. When the Cohen’s sold the business in 1977, their 9,000-square-foot store was grossing $13 million per year.