Retail Watchers

Walgreens and CVS announced that they are closing some drugstores on weekends due to staffing shortages. The cashiers at these places probably are quitting left and right or getting sick. Many drugstores have been having shortages of cough and cold medications. The sick people are buying medications...

The kits are non-refundable at most retailers and pharmacies. The problem is that people open them up and use them and then try to bring them back. The insurance companies are hoping that the kits are out of stock at most pharmacies so that they won't have to pay for those tests. Those that do buy t...

Some pharmacies have it set up so that you go to the prescription pharmacy and you present your insurance card for prescriptions. Then they fill a COVID test like a prescription. If the pharmacy is in the network, it is free. If not, you have to submit for a reimbursement and you only get $12 back. ...

In Northern California, I have not seen drive thru banking in decades. Most of the drive thru lanes are just drive thru ATM machines. Drive thru banking takes longer and you have to use a tube system or a drawer system. Some pharmacies have drive thru, but it takes much longer and the tube system of...

Automated drive thru ordering via voice is already being introduced. Some of those ordering kiosks are awful.

The online doctor website eMed sells the special COVID test that you take at home and a person observes you taking it via live video. That one is accepted by several airlines for travel. Some pharmacies such as Walgreens sell that one, but it is more expensive. I don't know how I feel about taking a...

This store has not been remodeled since the 70s or 80s. It has vintage old fashioned coffin refrigerators and no refrigerator doors. The vintage shopping carts are silver metal and are super high. The store is empty most of the time due to the huge new Safeway and Whole Foods that opened practically...

Perhaps there could be an ordering kiosk at the drive thru?

What this will do is put those private COVID test sites out of business. Instead of 2 days to get results, now you can get results in 15 minutes. Those test sites probably charge $130 to $385 per test. The $23 test is a bargain and will reduce costs for insurance companies. This will put those for p...

Starting Saturday insurance companies will pay for 8 home COVID test kits per month per person. Drugstores are really going to be busy now. If it is free people are going to buy and stockpile these tests like crazy. This is going bring in a ton of sales to drugstores. Those customers are probably go...