Retail Watchers

I got an email today from "Longs Drugs ExtraCare." Of course it was actually from CVS, but the sender was clearly labeled as Longs Drugs ExtraCare, and the fine print at the bottom includes this language:

*Offer available from 8/14/17 through 3/31/18. Coupon valid for one time use at Longs Drugs® locations only, on non-pharmacy purchases with a minimum purchase of $25. Savings applied to total qualifying purchase after other coupons & discounts are applied. ExtraCare® card must be presented for savings. Cannot be redeemed at MinuteClinic® or to discount flu shot. Terms and conditions are applied to coupon. See coupon for details. Coupon cannot be issued or redeemed at Longs Drugs locations inside Target stores. Offer valid in state of HI only. Limit one per customer.

So I guess there are Longs Drugs in Hawaii, but I'm in California. So I have to get on a plane to be able to take advantage of this offer? Also -- do the Targets in Hawaii (assuming there are any) have Longs Drugs inside in lieu of CVS?

Sounds like it was just a mistake. I would imagine they have separate EMail lists for each advertising region and someone accidentally sent you the offer intended for Hawaii.

J-Man wrote:I got an email today from "Longs Drugs ExtraCare." Of course it was actually from CVS, but the sender was clearly labeled as Longs Drugs ExtraCare, and the fine print at the bottom includes this language:

*Offer available from 8/14/17 through 3/31/18. Coupon valid for one time use at Longs Drugs® locations only, on non-pharmacy purchases with a minimum purchase of $25. Savings applied to total qualifying purchase after other coupons & discounts are applied. ExtraCare® card must be presented for savings. Cannot be redeemed at MinuteClinic® or to discount flu shot. Terms and conditions are applied to coupon. See coupon for details. Coupon cannot be issued or redeemed at Longs Drugs locations inside Target stores. Offer valid in state of HI only. Limit one per customer.

So I guess there are Longs Drugs in Hawaii, but I'm in California. So I have to get on a plane to be able to take advantage of this offer? Also -- do the Targets in Hawaii (assuming there are any) have Longs Drugs inside in lieu of CVS?

According to the Yelp review page for the store at 4380 Lawehana St Honolulu, HI 96818, it has a Longs Drugs pharmacy.

At least CVS is committed to the Longs banner in Hawaii.

Along with the Longs ad format? http://longs.staradvertiser.com/maui/0820/

Why did CVS choose to keep the Longs banner only in Hawaii? Was there that much brand loyalty to them in HI vs California?

CVS debated keeping the Longs Drugs name in the home territory of Longs Drugs in Northern California. However, CVS decided that California should only have one brand.

This was a big mistake. CVS lost many customers and lots of business. Loyal Longs customers boycotted CVS stores. Sales dropped around 50 percent or more in many former Longs Drugs stores. Even the former Longs Drugs flagship is not doing so well. The store used to be packed with customers, now it is a ghost town much of the day. The pharmacy is no longer 24 hours.

CVS made a big mistake and did not realize how loyal people are to the local Longs Drugs name. People can tolerate higher CVS prices, but eliminating a trusted local drug store name that went back decades is personal.

Hawaiian customers are even more loyal. If the Longs Drugs name had been eliminated, many of those stores would have closed down due to the lack of customers. Longs Drugs has been in Hawaii so long that it has become part of their culture. There are many Hawaiian products sold at Longs Drugs stores that are not available in the mainland stores.

rwsandiego wrote:

J-Man wrote:I got an email today from "Longs Drugs ExtraCare." Of course it was actually from CVS, but the sender was clearly labeled as Longs Drugs ExtraCare, and the fine print at the bottom includes this language:

*Offer available from 8/14/17 through 3/31/18. Coupon valid for one time use at Longs Drugs® locations only, on non-pharmacy purchases with a minimum purchase of $25. Savings applied to total qualifying purchase after other coupons & discounts are applied. ExtraCare® card must be presented for savings. Cannot be redeemed at MinuteClinic® or to discount flu shot. Terms and conditions are applied to coupon. See coupon for details. Coupon cannot be issued or redeemed at Longs Drugs locations inside Target stores. Offer valid in state of HI only. Limit one per customer.

So I guess there are Longs Drugs in Hawaii, but I'm in California. So I have to get on a plane to be able to take advantage of this offer? Also -- do the Targets in Hawaii (assuming there are any) have Longs Drugs inside in lieu of CVS?

According to the Yelp review page for the store at 4380 Lawehana St Honolulu, HI 96818, it has a Longs Drugs pharmacy.

Do I see a set of CVS/Longs cash registers AND a set of Target registers on the counter?

The registers are handled by Target, but the separate
computers next to the registers used for looking up patient information run CVS software.

Several of the comments in this forum bring up an interesting point - If an acquiring company keeps the original banner name (Longs) but then adds a bunch of parent company paraphernalia (CVS/Target cash registers, packaging, etc), doesn't the customer see through all this? I've always thought acquiring companies should be more mindful to keep as much of the parent company logo out of visibility of the customer as possible.

lola42 wrote: ↑February 24th, 2018, 10:41 am Several of the comments in this forum bring up an interesting point - If an acquiring company keeps the original banner name (Longs) but then adds a bunch of parent company paraphernalia (CVS/Target cash registers, packaging, etc), doesn't the customer see through all this? I've always thought acquiring companies should be more mindful to keep as much of the parent company logo out of visibility of the customer as possible.

That's something I've always wondered too.

Safeway (pre-Albertsons) did the same thing, there was pretty much no differentiation between a Vons/Pavilions and a Safeway. All stores were pretty much Safeway in every way possible: Lifestyle decor, Safeway systems, Safeway private label (Safeway Select, Safeway Kitchens, etc).

Kroger does the same, but to a certain extent. They use the same "Kroger brand" private label, but they change the logo on the packaging to reflect the name of the Kroger banner that it's being sold at (Ralphs, Smiths, Frys, etc). Also if the banner they acquire is in a better position than their main Kroger stores, they leave it untouched as long as its working (Harris Teeter for example).

I guess the reason why retailers are able to get away with doing this, is simply because the average consumer isn't "retail savvy" like us in these forums. When they walk into a Longs Drugs they don't notice the CVS systems, or any CVS style signage/promotions. Many of them might not even know CVS owns Longs Drugs now. As long as the sign outside says "Longs Drugs", it's the same old Longs Drugs they've been shopping at for many years.