https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html)
That's roughly 300 stores a year starting next year, according to the article.
As a long-time (and former, as I now use Walgreens) customer, I'm not really that surprised.
The cost of receipt paper was hurting their bottom line :-D.
Quote from: kevinb1994 on November 18, 2021, 12:51:29 PM
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html)
That's roughly 300 stores a year starting next year, according to the article.
As a long-time (and former, as I now use Walgreens) customer, I'm not really that surprised.
Me either. We've never had good experiences with them, so I say good riddance. We switched over to Walmart pharmacy a few years ago and haven't looked back.
Quote from: LM117 on November 18, 2021, 01:51:07 PM
Quote from: kevinb1994 on November 18, 2021, 12:51:29 PM
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/cvs-store-closures-to-shut-about-300-stores-a-year-over-next-three-years.html)
That's roughly 300 stores a year starting next year, according to the article.
As a long-time (and former, as I now use Walgreens) customer, I'm not really that surprised.
Me either. We've never had good experiences with them, so I say good riddance. We switched over to Walmart pharmacy a few years ago and haven't looked back.
I've used Costco's pharmacy. It was temporary, though, for reasons I will refrain from posting about here on this forum.
OTOH, our pupper has her prescriptions filled at Costco. They're not open on Sundays, however.
CVS does my scrips online. I get them in the mail in about 3 days. My insurance made me switch to them earlier this year, but so far I haven't been inconvenienced.
I've been inside a physical CVS exactly once this year, and that was to pick up some manila folders.
Hopefully the closures will not disproportionately impact impoverished areas, which is what tends to happen when chains start closing stores..
Better get my flu shot now.
I've never used CVS for the actual pharmacy, just as a quick stop for a few items when I don't feel like going through the hassle of dealing with Walmart, or all the way across town to the actual grocery store. They stopped being very useful for this when they stopped being 24 hours a few years before the pandemic, though.
Actual pharmacy products easily divide into two parts. First are "maintenance drugs". Which can easily be shifted to the internet, AKA mail order. And drugs you are prescribed when you are sick, which are the most internet proof thing in the world. If you have a fever, you are not waiting around for the mail to show in a 3 or 4 days.
As to the rest of the store, there is a great urban / suburban divide among chain drug stores. In city cores, chain drug stores tend to be more general stores and aimed a poor people without transportation. As such, the profit must be huge. In the suburbs, chain drug stores tend to be more places that are a combination of a very light sundry store and selling non-prescription health items.
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 18, 2021, 02:46:45 PM
Hopefully the closures will not disproportionately impact impoverished areas, which is what tends to happen when chains start closing stores..
It'll most likely affect areas where shoplifting has become a problem.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 19, 2021, 08:45:49 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 18, 2021, 02:46:45 PM
Hopefully the closures will not disproportionately impact impoverished areas, which is what tends to happen when chains start closing stores..
It'll most likely affect areas where shoplifting has become a problem.
You have data showing that's how chains decide where to close stores or is that just a stereotype you adhere to?
Erwin and Lillington are closing by 2022. :-o
Quote from: SP Cook on November 19, 2021, 08:35:15 AM
Actual pharmacy products easily divide into two parts. First are "maintenance drugs". Which can easily be shifted to the internet, AKA mail order. And drugs you are prescribed when you are sick, which are the most internet proof thing in the world. If you have a fever, you are not waiting around for the mail to show in a 3 or 4 days.
As to the rest of the store, there is a great urban / suburban divide among chain drug stores. In city cores, chain drug stores tend to be more general stores and aimed a poor people without transportation. As such, the profit must be huge. In the suburbs, chain drug stores tend to be more places that are a combination of a very light sundry store and selling non-prescription health items.
Duane Reade says hello.
Quote from: Rothman on November 19, 2021, 05:33:08 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on November 19, 2021, 08:35:15 AM
Actual pharmacy products easily divide into two parts. First are "maintenance drugs". Which can easily be shifted to the internet, AKA mail order. And drugs you are prescribed when you are sick, which are the most internet proof thing in the world. If you have a fever, you are not waiting around for the mail to show in a 3 or 4 days.
As to the rest of the store, there is a great urban / suburban divide among chain drug stores. In city cores, chain drug stores tend to be more general stores and aimed a poor people without transportation. As such, the profit must be huge. In the suburbs, chain drug stores tend to be more places that are a combination of a very light sundry store and selling non-prescription health items.
Duane Reade says hello.
And Rite Aid says hey back! :wave:
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 19, 2021, 09:08:22 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 19, 2021, 08:45:49 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 18, 2021, 02:46:45 PM
Hopefully the closures will not disproportionately impact impoverished areas, which is what tends to happen when chains start closing stores..
It'll most likely affect areas where shoplifting has become a problem.
You have data showing that's how chains decide where to close stores or is that just a stereotype you adhere to?
Look at Walgreens closing a bunch of stores in San Francisco where shoplifting is rampant. No need to be so vicious.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 20, 2021, 09:19:21 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 19, 2021, 09:08:22 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 19, 2021, 08:45:49 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on November 18, 2021, 02:46:45 PM
Hopefully the closures will not disproportionately impact impoverished areas, which is what tends to happen when chains start closing stores..
It'll most likely affect areas where shoplifting has become a problem.
You have data showing that's how chains decide where to close stores or is that just a stereotype you adhere to?
Look at Walgreens closing a bunch of stores in San Francisco where shoplifting is rampant. No need to be so vicious.
Hmm...
https://apnews.com/article/business-health-government-and-politics-california-coronavirus-pandemic-d0c6dc49ef4cd6d05f649a860bd72888
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
That isn't a comparison that makes sense. If a store closes, the number of stores decreases. If a store chooses not to open a location, the number of stores stays the same.
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 20, 2021, 10:11:39 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
That isn't a comparison that makes sense. If a store closes, the number of stores decreases. If a store chooses not to open a location, the number of stores stays the same.
That was about how I figured that would go. How do I have to phrase this so that nobody can dance around the question in cowardly fashion?
Try this: there's a barbershop chain with 10 locations in majority black neighborhoods. The chain also has 1 location in a majority white neighborhood. The location in the majority white neighborhood is doing roughly half of the business compared to the per store average of the other 10. Under cabiness42's guidelines, closing the poorly performing location in the white neighborhood would be wrong, correct?
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:16:07 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 20, 2021, 10:11:39 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
That isn't a comparison that makes sense. If a store closes, the number of stores decreases. If a store chooses not to open a location, the number of stores stays the same.
That was about how I figured that would go. How do I have to phrase this so that nobody can dance around the question in cowardly fashion?
Try this: there's a barbershop chain with 10 locations in majority black neighborhoods. The chain also has 1 location in a majority white neighborhood. The location in the majority white neighborhood is doing roughly half of the business compared to the per store average of the other 10. Under cabiness42's guidelines, closing the poorly performing location in the white neighborhood would be wrong, correct?
No, because that's not what the problem is. The actual problem should be obvious.
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 20, 2021, 10:19:46 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:16:07 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 20, 2021, 10:11:39 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
That isn't a comparison that makes sense. If a store closes, the number of stores decreases. If a store chooses not to open a location, the number of stores stays the same.
That was about how I figured that would go. How do I have to phrase this so that nobody can dance around the question in cowardly fashion?
Try this: there's a barbershop chain with 10 locations in majority black neighborhoods. The chain also has 1 location in a majority white neighborhood. The location in the majority white neighborhood is doing roughly half of the business compared to the per store average of the other 10. Under cabiness42's guidelines, closing the poorly performing location in the white neighborhood would be wrong, correct?
No, because that's not what the problem is.
I'll take "hilarious non-answers" for 500, Alex.
What is the difference, in the context of morality of closing poorly performing locations, between the CVS situation and the fictional situation that I described?
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
Not the best comparison.. There are lot more barbers than pharmacies (actually 2x more barbers than pharmacists per BLS). A remote community is more likely to have a barber, or people can combine haircut with a shopping trip. Having to drive an hour to get an antibiotic when you got sick is a bit more if an inconvenience - and seem to be a growing social issue
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/11/10/drugstore-shortage-rural-america/
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:21:04 PM
I'll take "hilarious non-answers" for 500, Alex.
I'm Scott, not Alex (or Steve, for that matter). But if you insist.
(https://i.imgur.com/tKcyiP9.png)
Quote from: kalvado on November 20, 2021, 10:22:18 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
Not the best comparison.. There are lot more barbers than pharmacies (actually 2x more barbers than pharmacists per BLS). A remote community is more likely to have a barber, or people can combine haircut with a shopping trip. Having to drive an hour to get an antibiotic when you got sick is a bit more if an inconvenience - and seem to be a growing social issue
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/11/10/drugstore-shortage-rural-america/
So you're arguing that CVS should put stores in rural locations, not near any major population centers (100k+ metro areas), despite the fact that they are unlikely to get as much business in those areas compared to if they were to put stores in more urban locations, where they would get significantly more business?
You are conveniently ignoring the fact that prescriptions can be simply and easily delivered to almost any location - the same cannot be done for the service that a barbershop provides.
CVS only has a handful of standalone stores here in the Seattle area. Most are inside Target (pharmacies), but those that are standalone are pretty new. So this news is a little worrying.
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:31:17 PM
Quote from: kalvado on November 20, 2021, 10:22:18 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:00:53 PM
So, cabiness42, if you have an issue with a pharmacy closing stores that are not making much profit due to the impoverished nature of the area they are in, surely you also have an issue with, say, a barbershop that primarily appeals to black men being reluctant to open a location in a majority white neighborhood? Right?
Not the best comparison.. There are lot more barbers than pharmacies (actually 2x more barbers than pharmacists per BLS). A remote community is more likely to have a barber, or people can combine haircut with a shopping trip. Having to drive an hour to get an antibiotic when you got sick is a bit more if an inconvenience - and seem to be a growing social issue
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/11/10/drugstore-shortage-rural-america/
So you're arguing that CVS should put stores in rural locations, not near any major population centers (100k+ metro areas), despite the fact that they are unlikely to get as much business in those areas compared to if they were to put stores in more urban locations, where they would get significantly more business?
You are conveniently ignoring the fact that prescriptions can be simply and easily delivered to almost any location - the same cannot be done for the service that a barbershop provides.
I am arguing that this is a problem. And no, same day delivery for antibiotic, or painkiller after trauma, can e complicated.
My personal opinion, though, is that pill counting pharmacist should have became a thing of the past some 50 years ago. It takes much less training to sell prepacked boxes.
And I don't buy common argument about pharmacist being helpful professional. I was subject to that twice, and both times it had purely negative effects. I was ready to complain to FDA about one of such "professional" action. Too bad I cool down pretty fast.
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
If CVS chooses to close a store that serves many people in an urban area, they increase the driving distance to 20-30 miles for the many people near to the former location. That's anywhere between 25 minutes and one hour of driving, depending on routes and traffic conditions, as opposed to what it was previously - probably anywhere between 10 and 25 minutes when the closest location was still open.
Compare that to a drive time difference of +1 hour, as you say, for the relatively few people in these rural areas that have lost CVS locations, and it evens out - in urban areas it's a smaller difference for more people, and in rural areas it's a larger difference for fewer people.
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:41:46 PM
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
If CVS chooses to close a store that serves many people in an urban area, they increase the driving distance to 20-30 miles for the many people near to the former location. That's anywhere between 25 minutes and one hour of driving, depending on routes and traffic conditions, as opposed to what it was previously - probably anywhere between 10 and 25 minutes when the closest location was still open.
Compare that to a drive time difference of +1 hour, as you say, for the relatively few people in these rural areas that have lost CVS locations, and it evens out - in urban areas it's a smaller difference for more people, and in rural areas it's a larger difference for fewer people.
As always, better off neighbors where people actually buy things will see little, if any, cuts - and rural, or less well to do, areas would be affected more. Same happens with groceries.
On one hand, business exit to make profits; on the other - people really need access to groceries and medications even if they do not drive or have tight budget. So I call it a problem - but I cannot think of a solution.
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:41:46 PM
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
There are roughly 10-15 CVS locations within 10 miles of my location.
Quote from: GaryV on November 21, 2021, 06:57:00 AM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:41:46 PM
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
There are roughly 10-15 CVS locations within 10 miles of my location.
Thanks for sharing your personal anecdote that accurately represents every city in the country.
Quote from: thspfc on November 21, 2021, 08:20:43 AM
Quote from: GaryV on November 21, 2021, 06:57:00 AM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:41:46 PM
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
There are roughly 10-15 CVS locations within 10 miles of my location.
Thanks for sharing your personal anecdote that accurately represents every city in the country.
Come to think of it, there are a few CVSes much closer than 10-15 miles in my city as well -- like 2 or 3. One of them doesn't have a pharmacy, however.
From what I understand, the shoplifting issue (where it's decriminalized up to $950) is unique to California. If they're closing stores for that particular reason, it shouldn't affect the rest of the country much.
And they're much closer than 10-15 miles apart here, too, and I live in the suburbs.
Quote from: 1 on November 21, 2021, 08:33:46 AM
From what I understand, the shoplifting issue (where it's decriminalized up to $950) is unique to California. If they're closing stores for that particular reason, it shouldn't affect the rest of the country much.
And they're much closer than 10-15 miles apart here, too, and I live in the suburbs.
That specific proposition is, but lately it's becoming nationwide. My state has made national news with people just walking out of stores with carts full of unpaid merchandise and just loading it in their vehicle and driving off. In my town, they even caught 3 thieves from Texas who were hitting up Lowe's around the country with fake credit cards stealing giant spoils of wiring for the copper. It is becoming an epidemic of kleptomania.
CVS on every corner is a Northeast thing (kind of like Dunkin). My town has a 24 hour freestanding one, another in a plaza, and yet another inside Target. The plaza one is outdated, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's among the 900 (plus there's a supermarket that is a rare one without a pharmacy right next door, so it would be an opportunity to add one). Every town has at least one.
Quote from: Rothman on November 21, 2021, 08:26:18 AM
Quote from: thspfc on November 21, 2021, 08:20:43 AM
Quote from: GaryV on November 21, 2021, 06:57:00 AM
Quote from: thspfc on November 20, 2021, 10:41:46 PM
CVS pharmacy locations are roughly 10-15 miles apart in most American cities.
There are roughly 10-15 CVS locations within 10 miles of my location.
Thanks for sharing your personal anecdote that accurately represents every city in the country.
Come to think of it, there are a few CVSes much closer than 10-15 miles in my city as well -- like 2 or 3. One of them doesn't have a pharmacy, however.
For me, there are 23 (twenty three) cvs stores within 20 mile radius.
Point here is that cvs seem to be dominant pharmacy chain, with Walgreens slowly building up as a competition. CVS may have lesser role in other areas. Walgreens is bigger on the national scale, but not so much nearby
I would certainly be OK with some of these cvs locations closing as there is ample medication buying opportunity in the area. But I suspect these are not the pharmacies slated for closure.
I wonder, how will the older stores without pharmacies be affected? Could these be on the chopping block?
Quote from: Pink Jazz on November 21, 2021, 04:57:18 PM
I wonder, how will the older stores without pharmacies be affected? Could these be on the chopping block?
Part of me actually hopes so. There's one right up the road from me and I irrationally find it annoying that it doesn't have a pharmacy.
I haven't used a "big box" pharmacy in close to 15 years. When Mrs. wanderer had a temporary colostomy done, no location of any of them around us would order her supplies. We went to an independently-owned pharmacy about a mile from us and they were happy to help, no pleading needed. We've used them for most of our drug needs since (we do use a mail-order service for maintenance drugs where we can obtain a three-month supply at a time). Sometimes, not at all often, we have to wait a day or get only a partial filling to begin with because they have to order something they usually don't have in stock, but we don't mind. Their greeting us by name when we walk in and being able to take a little time to have a conversation is worth something to us.
Quote from: 7/8 on November 18, 2021, 12:55:17 PM
The cost of receipt paper was hurting their bottom line :-D.
And they liked to give you receipts that are a yard long even if you only bought two things.
As a former longtime employee of that accursed company, this doesn't surprise me at all, and looking back I think I caught wind of it a couple years ago when I heard some higher level management talking about goings-on over the next few years. Glad I got out when I did. I can think of a few locations near me that are likely to close, including one or two I worked at.
Also found out recently that the auto shop I left CVS for (and have since also left) is closing next year and not being replaced, but for different reasons. Can't say I'm sad to see that place go either.