Longs Drug March sales rise

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. Longs Drug posted an increase in same-store sales in March helped by the early arrival of Easter.

In a near reversal of past trends, Longs same-store sales jumped 2.8 percent for the month on the strength of front-end sales, which rose 5.7 percent due to Easter shoppers. Easter arrived on March 23 compared to April 8 in 2007.

Pharmacy sales rose only 0.1 percent for the month, due to the ongoing influx of generic drugs and a mild flu season in California. Total sales for March were $474 million, a 4.7 percent increase from last year.