Save Mart closing pharmacy

[storewanderer]

UFCW 8 covering multiple Lucky locations has reportedly sent a communication to its members regarding the Lucky pharmacy closures. It seems the closures are happening a bit slower at Lucky with some not happening until mid September. They have advised their members that the transfers to Walgreens will not work because Walgreens (and also CVS) locations are not participating providers under UFCW 8's health plan. They note that members will need to go to Safeway, Raleys/Bel Air, or Rite Aid for prescriptions going forward.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

As mentioned in another thread,one of the locations affected by the pharmacy closures(Crestview Village)will soon convert to FoodMaxx.This format has never had an in-store pharmacy at any of their locations.

[storewanderer]

As mentioned in another thread,one of the locations affected by the pharmacy closures(Crestview Village)will soon convert to FoodMaxx.This format has never had an in-store pharmacy at any of their locations.

I am not sure when the Food Maxx pharmacies closed.
The following Food Maxx had pharmacies as of a few years ago:
3000 E. 9th Oakland
1465 Main Watsonville
3291 Truxel Sacramento
1300 West Olive Merced

I think there were some others in the bay area/central valley. Not in Sacramento or North.

[HCal]

Just because the customers then did not buy other items, does not mean they do not sometimes buy other items there. And now the risk is they have to take their prescription to Safeway/Albertsons, Wal Mart Supercenter, even a Target with CVS inside, the risk is the customer sees that store as a new grocery option. If the customer leaves Save Mart for Walgreens ONLY for the prescription (and nothing else, not even an OTC item), Save Mart closes the money losing pharmacy, then it is a net win for Save Mart. But I don't see it playing out this way. Maybe it will still be a net win for their bottom line, we don't know exactly how much money these pharmacies were losing nor do we know how great of a deal Walgreens gave them for the files.

True, but I think the impact will be negligible. While this is anecdotal, I've been to a few Stater Bros. and Raley's stores after they closed their pharmacies, and I didn't notice any drop in traffic.

I suppose that is why supermarkets tend to sell their pharmacy files to the pharmacy chains rather than other supermarkets. If Save Mart had sold their prescription records to, let's say Safeway or Walmart, they would be sending customers directly to a competitor. But Walgreens isn't much of a competitor for their core grocery business.

[Alpha8472]

If the pharmacy did not have many customers to begin with, then the loss in customer traffic will be low. However, from my experience working in a busy pharmacy, customers almost always fill up a shopping cart full of merchandise when they pick up prescriptions. Pharmacies bring in customers and they do increase sales. However, it depends. If your pharmacy is in a discount retailer, people pile their shopping carts full each time.

Some supermarket pharmacies simply do very little business. Save Mart might not lose that much business. Save Mart has high prices and many times people do not fill up an entire shopping cart.

Maybe if FoodMaxx had Pharmacies it would be different.

[storewanderer]

True, but I think the impact will be negligible. While this is anecdotal, I've been to a few Stater Bros. and Raley's stores after they closed their pharmacies, and I didn't notice any drop in traffic.

I suppose that is why supermarkets tend to sell their pharmacy files to the pharmacy chains rather than other supermarkets. If Save Mart had sold their prescription records to, let's say Safeway or Walmart, they would be sending customers directly to a competitor. But Walgreens isn't much of a competitor for their core grocery business.

The problem this time, as I have pointed out, and as others here have pointed out, is that many people, including some UFCW employees working at Save Mart's Stores, cannot go to Walgreens or CVS for prescriptions under their health insurance plan... here in Nevada, the State of Nevada employees cannot go to Walgreens or CVS either; they must go to Raleys, Wal Mart, Safeway, Kroger, some can go to Costco, or that single Rite Aid that only runs pharmacy 5 days a week in a rural location. There aren't many choices for many folks here other than to go to other grocery store pharmacies.

Also Stater runs such high volume stores that the pharmacy was an afterthought. Raleys also tends to run higher volume stores but they did close one store location that closed pharmacy in Reno (I didn't really notice any difference in traffic between when they closed pharmacy and when they closed the store, though). For a lower volume store like many Save Marts are, anything you do that makes fewer people walk through the door or causes people to walk through the door less often than before, will be felt a lot more than if you are a high volume operator like Stater...

[bryceleinan]

I personally think the end of pharmacy at Save Mart will be the end of Save Mart in Nevada, and quite possibly, some of the California stores. While chains like Raley's and Bi-Mart can probably get away with closing their pharmacies since their stores have a differentiating product, Save Mart does little to differentiate itself from other grocery stores. Pharmacy is a big driver for repeat business, and I think that many will go to other chains since they no longer have an absolute need to go to Save Mart.

[Alpha8472]

Are there any pharmacies in the same shopping centers as these Save Mart stores. I once worked at a CVS next to a Lucky. People would fill their prescriptions and shop at the Lucky next door. As long as there is a pharmacy nearby, the supermarket still gets business.

[storewanderer]

Are there any pharmacies in the same shopping centers as these Save Mart stores. I once worked at a CVS next to a Lucky. People would fill their prescriptions and shop at the Lucky next door. As long as there is a pharmacy nearby, the supermarket still gets business.

Only one Nevada Store has a pharmacy in the same shopping center, 10500 North McCarran. Nevada Stores were Albertsons/Sav-on combo stores when Save Mart took them over. Most had pharmacy expanded and renovated as part of the combo store program.

In a number of cases there isn't even a pharmacy at the same intersection as the pharmacy Save Mart is closing.

Fatal move for the Nevada Stores. Raleys handled their partial pharmacy closure program in a much smarter manner to retain grocery customers.

[retailfanmitchell019]

Only one Nevada Store has a pharmacy in the same shopping center, 10500 North McCarran. Nevada Stores were Albertsons/Sav-on combo stores when Save Mart took them over. Most had pharmacy expanded and renovated as part of the combo store program.

In a number of cases there isn't even a pharmacy at the same intersection as the pharmacy Save Mart is closing.

Fatal move for the Nevada Stores. Raleys handled their partial pharmacy closure program in a much smarter manner to retain grocery customers.

I bet Albertsons could buy back these stores. I'd move the stores into Intermountain and slap Albertsons signs on the exterior (while converting the 3 Safeway stores in Reno to the Albertsons name).