Walgreens is expanding its food selection. This is possibly due to the influence from their purchase of Duane Reade. Duane Reade had been expanding their prepared food offerings. Walgreens seems to be copying some of that for some of their urban stores.
CVS also is planning on expanding their food selection. They took over Longs Drugs and Longs Drugs had always been a big seller of food. The converted Longs Drugs stores carry a wider variety of food than regular CVS stores. This food selection is what is left over from the days of Longs Drugs. It would be a simple matter to expand this line of food to older CVS stores.
CVS is also going to remodel 20% of their stores (1,400 stores). They will also be revamping layouts with a clear focus on consumables and convenience in the front of the store. There will be expanded coolers, new department signage, decor packages, and a new grab-and-go cooler featuring ready-made and easy meals. When CVS remodeled their Longs Drugs stores, they added a new decor package that was different than CVS' old decor. I assume that they are now going to add this new decor onto existing unremodeled CVS stores. The new decor is much better than what CVS used to use on their old stores.
“While food will take on a level of significance within the box, it will not displace CVS' core focus on health and beauty. Consumables will serve as a conduit to health and beauty, fueling the necessary trips and creating opportunities for CVS to do what it does best: driving conversion and margin expansion."
It seems that the merger with Longs Drugs has changed CVS for the better. CVS decided that a wider selection of food is good for business. Food selection was one thing that brought customers to Longs.
Also, CVS is adding Redbox DVD rental machines to their stores. Longs Drugs has had these machines for years. They apparently are so popular that CVS decided to put them in all of their stores.
http://supermarketnews.com/retail_finan ... cine-0809/
Walgreens and CVS Expanding Food Selection
Re: Walgreens and CVS Expanding Food Selection
I've always seen Walgreens as an overglorified convenience store.
A couple aisles of food, an aisle of candy, a few aisles of beauty, an aisle of drugs, a pharmacy, and a whole bunch of impulse buys and "What the heck are they doing carrying THIS crap".
I've only been in a couple of CVS's, but they struck me as being way less trashy.
Give me back the 80's Payless Drug Stores any day.
A couple aisles of food, an aisle of candy, a few aisles of beauty, an aisle of drugs, a pharmacy, and a whole bunch of impulse buys and "What the heck are they doing carrying THIS crap".
I've only been in a couple of CVS's, but they struck me as being way less trashy.
Give me back the 80's Payless Drug Stores any day.
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Re: Walgreens and CVS Expanding Food Selection
Walgreens is now selling Bonert's baked apple and cherry Pies! This is a surprise. Normally, you would have to go to a supermarket to find ready-to-eat baked pies. I also saw some of the new DR Delish foods. They look like packages of snack foods. They really aren't very interesting to look at.
Walgreens has always been very much like a convenience store. The prices are outrageously high. I have noticed that their prices keep creeping up. I walked into my local Lucky supermarket and found bandages and other over-the-counter items at cheaper prices. When drug store items are cheaper at a supermarket, it is a sign that drug stores are just price gouging people.
However, I did pick up a new flu shot while I was in the store. Yes, I know that you can get it cheaper at Rite Aid, however Rite Aid usually doesn't stock the mercury free flu shots. I did get a $3 off $15 coupon for getting a flu shot. That's better than the 10% off coupon from Safeway. I had just stopped by a Safeway Pharmacy and there was no trained pharmacist on duty that could provide flu shots. I was told to come back later that week. Safeway has been advertising walk-in flu shots like crazy, but not all of their staff is even qualified to do it.
I was kind of angry at being turned away so I drove over to Walgreens on impulse. The staff at the Walgreens Pharmacy was completely taken by surprise. They were elated that someone actually wanted a flu shot. They practically rolled out the red carpet for me. That Walgreens store was in the middle of a quiet suburban neighborhood. Apparently, they don't get much business over there. It's not near a supermarket or any other crowd attracting business. The store only opened a few years ago. Someone goofed when they planned the location of this store.
Walgreens has always been very much like a convenience store. The prices are outrageously high. I have noticed that their prices keep creeping up. I walked into my local Lucky supermarket and found bandages and other over-the-counter items at cheaper prices. When drug store items are cheaper at a supermarket, it is a sign that drug stores are just price gouging people.
However, I did pick up a new flu shot while I was in the store. Yes, I know that you can get it cheaper at Rite Aid, however Rite Aid usually doesn't stock the mercury free flu shots. I did get a $3 off $15 coupon for getting a flu shot. That's better than the 10% off coupon from Safeway. I had just stopped by a Safeway Pharmacy and there was no trained pharmacist on duty that could provide flu shots. I was told to come back later that week. Safeway has been advertising walk-in flu shots like crazy, but not all of their staff is even qualified to do it.
I was kind of angry at being turned away so I drove over to Walgreens on impulse. The staff at the Walgreens Pharmacy was completely taken by surprise. They were elated that someone actually wanted a flu shot. They practically rolled out the red carpet for me. That Walgreens store was in the middle of a quiet suburban neighborhood. Apparently, they don't get much business over there. It's not near a supermarket or any other crowd attracting business. The store only opened a few years ago. Someone goofed when they planned the location of this store.