Peoples' Eisenberg leaves to form consulting firm

Drug Store News, Feb 2, 1991

Peoples' Eisenberg leaves to form consulting firm

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- David Eisenberg, who rose from a summer job as a teenage soda jerk at Peoples to president of the chain 38 years later, left his job last month to form his own consulting firm.

Eisenberg's departure was anticipated, the result of the continuing consolidation of much of Peoples' headquarters-level operations at CVS in Woonsocket, R.I. Melville Corp., CVS's parent company, purchased the 450-store mid-Atlantic chain last year. Other top Peoples executives will be leaving as the transition period continues through June.

"During the transition period David's support was invaluable to everyone in the company and in particular to me personally," said Harvey Rosenberg, president of CVS. "His business knowledge and sensitivity to others helped all of us. We wish him great success with his new venture."

Eisenberg told Drug Store News that he was "sad to be leaving" Peoples, after a career that that began in 1952, but excited about the prospects for his new consulting business, David Eisenberg and Associates.

"I'm ready to start anew," he said. "I want to get into all kinds of good things out there."

Eisenberg, who helped spearhead the dramatic turnaround at Peoples' under former owner Imasco Corp., said he felt that experience would be valuable to other chains looking for a similar fix to their problems. He said manufacturers would also stand to gain from his long experience in retailing and packaged goods.

Eisenberg was the winner of Drug Store News' REX Merchandising Executive of the Year award in 1986.

Rosenthal said that the shift in Peoples' management to CVS was "on schedule. We're working very hard to put together the whole support network that will enable us over the coming months to operate as one company."

The change will also include a new prototype incorporating strengths of both CVS and Peoples stores. The CVS president said it was too early to say when that new model would be ready. Previously he has said that he expected 100 stores to be converted in the first year.