PayLess Drug Stores 1932 T-Shirt

In 1932, L.J. Skaggs opened PayLess Drug Stores in Tacoma, Washington, which soon expanded across the western United States. Some stores were sold to his brother Samuel "L.S." Olnie Skaggs, along with some colleagues. L.J. Skaggs retained California PayLess Stores, which eventually became part of Thrifty PayLess. The remaining PayLess stores were renamed Skaggs Drug Stores in 1948, and Skaggs Drug Centers in 1965. The chain grew through both acquisition and internal expansion. By 1984, PayLess Drug Stores was the largest independently owned and operated drug store chain in the United States. In 1986, there were 225 PayLess stores, and by 1990, PayLess operated in nine western states before being acquired by a larger national chain.