Longs Drugs Changing Into CVS

[Alpha8472]

Those are interesting photos. It looks like they have a mix of carpeting and tile.The aisles don't look too narrow. I find it interesting how many of their shelves light up the products. I think it looks nice.

Was this store supposed to open as a Longs or was it completely CVS's idea?

[romleys]

Anyone think the CVS rewards card might have a negative impact on sales?

[Alpha8472]

At first, people will be annoyed that they have to sign up for the card. However, the rewards and free stuff will bring customers back for more.

I have heard from people who currently shop at CVS that you get tons of coupons with every receipt. You also coupons such as "Get $5 off your next purchase."

This will get more people back into the stores. The free items and other deals are really good. Walgreens and Rite Aid lack the free stuff. It is human nature to be tempted back by free stuff.

I think that people will like the free stuff and extra care bucks. Signing up for the card only happens once and you can get the card right away at the store. If you lose your card, you can always use your phone number like at Safeway.

There is a minority of crabby anti-card people. These are the people who get upset at the Club Cards at Safeway. However, those people signed up for the card anyway because they didn't want to pay the higher non-club price.

[Alpha8472]

The Longs Drugs website is no more. It automatically redirects you to CVS.com

CVS has a different focus than Longs Drugs had. CVS focuses on health and beauty items, while Longs Drugs focused on food and general merchandise.

I can see why CVS focuses on cosmetics and other beauty items. Cosmetics are very profitable and take up little space. CVS likes to have small stores, which are cheaper than large stores with higher rent. Food on the other hand, is less profitable than cosmetics and beauty items. CVS has a much bigger selection of cosmetics than Longs Drugs had. Of course, drug stores appeal more towards women. Women do the majority of the shopping at drug stores. Longs had more general merchandise, which would appeal more towards male customers. However, the general merchandise just seemed to sit on the shelves for quite a while. The general merchandise was mostly impulse buy stuff. Women tend to like the expanded cosmetics of CVS.

[romleys]

Noticed the "rewards card" was needed for everything (supposedly) on sale in the candy section...

[Alpha8472]

The stores have all switched to CVS cash registers that accept the CVS Extra Care card. The rewards deals are pretty good. You get extra care bucks that you can use on your next purchase.

They even give out those little key chain cards now.

[storewanderer]

I found a location in Saratoga, CA that is being remodeled into CVS as we speak. The signage is smaller and cheaper looking than the signage that was installed in the former Sav-On Stores. The pharmacy has blue paint (lighter blue than Longs used) above it and the rest of the store has completely white paint. They are also shifting the angle of the aisles. It looks like they are keeping portions of Longs decor including the round checkstand lights as they installed some counter-bank teller style registers and they have the round Longs lights. The aisle hangers are the same black/triangular ones used on the former Sav-Ons. I'm not at all impressed with this decor.

[storewanderer]

The location in San Anselmo has CVS signage out front and the inside is being redone. I saw some of the departments reset to CVS specs and they are certainly maintaining a larger merchandise variety than in the former Sav-Ons. It will be interesting to see how long they maintain this variety for.

[romleys]

and its official. The Rockridge (Payless) Longs Drug Store will be closing by the end of the year. Safeway has plans which have been approved to knock down the huge building and build a new store to replace the very dated store in the same shopping center.

[storewanderer]

Sorry I forgot to come back here and post these once I got home last weekend. CVS seems to have a new decor for the former Longs.

Photos of remodeled San Anselmo Longs







While an improvement to Longs pre-2000 decor packages, I don't think this is an improvement to the decor Longs came up with after that.