Thrifty White Drug / White Mart Department Store

Thrifty White Drug/White House Cafeteria inside the Parkade.

Thrifty White is a regional chain of drugstores, which currently operates under the White Drug banner in addition to Thrifty White, and any variation of the combined names. Thrifty White is a result of a merger between White Drug of Jamestown, North Dakota, and Thrifty Drug of Brainerd, Minnesota in 1985.

Thrifty White once operated a small chain of eight discount department stores across the Dakotas and Minnesota, under the banner White Mart. Both stores were collectively referred to as “White’s”. The discount stores were slowly faded out after the merger to concentrate solely on drugstore operations, with the final locations closing in the early 1990s. The Bismarck White Mart was an original anchor store for Gateway Mall when it opened in 1979, then closed in 1986.

Thrifty White Drug is currently located in downtown Bismarck, on the first floor of the original parking garage. The White House Cafeteria is housed within the store. White Drug also has a location in nearby Mandan.

Thrifty White has faced recent criticism for an e-mail sent out to each of its pharmacists by one of the company’s top executives. The e-mail had stated that employees who do not openly oppose a recent attempt to repeal the current North Dakota pharmacy ownership law will not receive raises for 2009. “For those of you who have failed so miserably in this cause, reward will be based upon cooperation and performance,” read a line in the e-mail. “For non-participants, don’t plan on a pay increase this upcoming May, win or lose.”

See Also:
Bismarck Pride Blog on this topic
Bismarck Tribune Article on this topic

External Link:
www.thriftywhite.com