Katz Group of Companies

The Rexall Pharmacy in Canmore, Alberta

Katz Group’s former pharmacy business and health-related companies operated under the banner "Rexall Health".[2] Rexall Health included these independently operated businesses:

• Rexall/Rexall Pharma Plus, a retail pharmacy chain operating under the 100-year-old Rexall banner. The chain employs over 8,600 people at more than 460 locations across Canada
• Medicentres Canada, a group of family health care clinics where family physicians and specialists provide health care services to people in Edmonton, Calgary, London and Windsor
• Claimsecure Inc., a healthcare management and technology firm that provides customized health benefit claims management and plan administrative services to Canadian corporations and other health benefit plan sponsors

In March 2016, Katz sold Rexall to McKesson Corporation for C$3 billion.

In 1991, in a partnership with his father Barry Katz, Daryl Katz paid $300,000 for the Canadian rights to the U.S.-based Medicine Shoppe drugstore franchise, which had over 1,000 stores in the USA.[3] His father was a pharmacist who founded the Value Drug Mart chain in Edmonton in 1978.[4] Katz obtained financing from Vencap Equities, a venture capital fund established by the Alberta government to support local entrepreneurs.[3] Daryl later stated: "If my father wasn't in the business and didn't have a history, I would never have succeeded in getting it."[3]

In 1992, Katz Group opened the first Medicine Shoppe store.[3] In 1996, it purchased the fading Rexall drugstore chain in Canada which at the time only consisted of several dozen stores.[3] Six years after the first Medicine Shoppe was opened, Katz Group’s pharmacy operation consisted of 80 Rexall stores, 30 Medicine Shoppe outlets, and a few smaller independent retailers.[3] In 1997, it purchased the Ontario-based, 143-store Pharma Plus drug store chain from the supermarket operator Oshawa Group for $100 million.[3]

In 1999, it ventured into the U.S. with the purchase of the money-losing Minnesota-based Snyders Drug Store chain, which had $300 million in sales. In 2001, it purchased the U.S.-based Drug Emporium big-box discount chain.[3] The Snyder's chain filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and its 25 stores were sold to Walgreens.[3]

On January 30, 2012, Katz agreed to sell its Drug Trading Company Ltd. to McKesson Corporation for roughly $920 million in cash.[5] Drug Trading Company is a marketing and purchasing arm for a network of over 850 independent pharmacies that primarily operate under the I.D.A. and Guardian brands, and Medicine Shoppe Canada Inc. The sale represented about 90% of the Katz Group's assets, shrinking the group's network of corporate-owned and franchised stores to 450 Rexall/Rexall Pharma Plus stores.[3] Additionally on January 30, 2012, Katz acquired the 18-store Dell Pharmacies chain that operates in the Hamilton, Ontario, area. Dell joined the Rexall chain effective with the announcement.[6]

Regarding the deal, National Bank Financial analyst Vishal Shreedhar suggested, "... Katz Group wants to exit the small pharmacy-focused independent/franchise business because it is most impacted by recent drug reforms. In contrast, Katz Group’s corporate store business ([about] 420 stores) benefits from stronger brand awareness, greater front store penetration and superior vendor support, making it a better growth platform."[7] Katz Group continues to supply Rexall products to the independent and franchise pharmacies sold to McKesson.

On March 2, 2016, Rexall announced that it was being sold, in entirety, by Katz Group to the McKesson Corporation, a San Francisco-based pharmaceuticals company.[8] It has been speculated that this is due to pressure on McKesson by Walgreens over the Rite-Aid purchase, and on growing pressure on Rexall over sales. The deal was finalized in December 2016 following approval received under the Investment Canada Act.[9]

In May 2007, Katz made a $145-million bid to buy the Edmonton Oilers NHL hockey team,[10] which the owners of the team, the Edmonton Investors Group (EIG), quickly rejected, stating the team was not for sale.

In July 2007, he made another bid for the Oilers of $185 million, which was turned down by the EIG on August 7, 2007. On December 12, 2007, Katz made an offer of $188 million to the EIG. The board of the EIG announced in January 2008 that it would again recommend to its shareholders to reject this latest bid.

On January 28, 2008, Katz increased his offer to $200 million and extended the acceptance deadline to February 5, 2008, at which time Katz was notified by the EIG that all its members agreed to sell the Oilers to him, pending league and financial approval. On June 18, 2008, Daryl Katz received the final approval from the National Hockey League to purchase the Edmonton Oilers, and then on July 2, 2008, he was announced as the owner of the Edmonton Oilers during a press conference at Rexall Place, where he was presented with an Edmonton Oilers Jersey with the number "08" and his last name patched onto the back.[11]

Katz created the Rexall Sports Corporation to run the sports and entertainment side of the Katz Group. It was renamed Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) in 2014. In addition to the Oilers, OEG owns and operates the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), the Bakersfield Condors (AHL), and Aquila Productions (film & production company).

In April 2015, Katz announced a partnership with Joel Silver to create Silver Pictures Entertainment[12] – a new company that will develop, produce, and provide or arrange financing for feature films, television, and digital projects. Katz’ interests in the company fall under the OEG umbrella.[13]

OEG also operates Rogers Place,[14] a multi-use indoor arena that is home to both the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Oil Kings. Rogers Place opened in downtown Edmonton in the fall of 2016. In addition to sporting events, the arena plays host to concerts and other events in the Ice District, a mixed-use sports and entertainment development. In 2019, Rogers Place was awarded gold standard for exemplary architecture by the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees [15]

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the City of Edmonton, along with Toronto, was selected as one of two NHL “Hub City’s” to facilitate the completion of the 2019-2020 season where the 12 years of effort to put Ice District together had put the city in a position to compete with anyone in the world for an event of this unprecedented scope.[16]

Katz Group Properties is involved in land assembly and site and building development across Canada and the United States, and is leading the $2.5 billion Edmonton Arena District development now known as Ice District.[17]