CVS banned tobacco. Now its sales are hurting

money.cnn.com ^ | 8/4/2015 | Matt Egan

[rktman]

Last September, CVS became the first major pharmacy chain in America to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in its stores. The drug store chain said it was the right thing to do -- even though it would hurt sales.

Now CVS (CVS) is detailing just how much the tobacco ban is impacting the company. While prescription sales continue to rise, general merchandise sales tumbled nearly 8% last quarter on a same-store basis.

CVS blamed the slump on the tobacco ban. The company said front-store sales would have been flat compared with the year before if they didn't make the change.

[GingisK]

Ah, someone with whom I can relate. If you can’t write assembler for at least twenty processors, go to the back of the line. ;-D

[kaboom]

So true on the high prices. Anything on sale is excluded from discount coupions and most sale items require a full price purchase before a discount will be applied to a second item.

[houeto]

Sounds like you need a couple of ‘5 Hour Energy’ hits.

There are many facilities in the petrochemical industry that, if caught with ANY energy drink, you are terminated on the spot. No second chance.

[Democratic-Republican]

Don't you just love liars and hypocrites? Quick Google ...

Candy - Buy Candy products at CVS.com - CVS pharmacy
www.cvs.com/shop/household.../candy/N-3tZ13fr47Z2k
CVS Pharmacy
Results 1 - 20 of 1650 - Shop online for Candy at CVS.COM. Find Candy products including Boxed Candy, Chocolates, as well as other ... CVS/pharmacy Stores

CVS Considered Pulling Candy And Soft Drinks Along With Tobacco

“The feedback that we got quite comfortable with was, if you talk to a nutritionist, a dietician or your physician, you know, they will tell you that occasional use [of sugary products], taken in moderation, has not been proved to cause medical harm. But the same can’t be said about tobacco.”

According to analysts, CVS stands to lose a good deal of revenue by eliminating tobacco sales. Forbes reports that CVS will lose about $2 billion over the short term. However, there are signs that CVS will pick up additional business from a public that is becoming more and more anti-tobacco, which will help ease the lost revenue.

Don't want to lose this revenue, no way.

[Vaquero]

The two closest auto part stores to me are both auto zone. I pass them both to buy my parts but let them do FREE diagnostics in front of the store and ‘rent’ for FREE specialty tools

The reason being an employee coming back from lunch saw the auto zone he worked in being robbed...went back to his truck for his shotgun and peacefully ended the robbery. He was fired for breaking the rule about bringing firearms into the store. I won’t buy there anymore but will take their FREE stuff.

[Rodamala]

Every M-F here in NW Pennsylvania, I stop on my way to the office at the same Kwik Fill gas station to get coffee. This morning there was a long line that is not normally an issue. It's a small gas station and convenience store, one register... 2 employees.

Well the guy in front of me was being rung up and the girl kept swiping his car on the register, and it wasn't reading the card making me take notice. She was swiping his Driver's License and so I pointed out that it was his D.L. and not a credit/debit card.

She said that starting today, they have to swipe the magnetic strip on the register for everyone's Driver's License if they are buying tobacco. Previously, they would ask for just your date of birth and enter that into the register and that allowed the sale to process...

I recall leaving the house one time without my lighter, so I bought a disposable lighter and she asked for my D.O.B. for that. I exclaimed, "What's next? You want to see my I.D. to buy a newspaper?!?".

Anyways, I dunno if this is just a corporate change, or state law, but the idea of having to have my purchases tracked biometricly, and sales may be declined because I "don't have the mark" is truly Biblical. That's OK though, it's just punishment for the no good rotten smokers out there, already punished with cigarette taxes.

The girl at the register explained that this business of swiping DL's is completely screwing up things because 75% of the ID cards will not read, and so they have to swipe the card 12 times and it's holding up sales (hence the line to the back of the store to the coolers full up energy drinks and pop).

I guess I can't buy smokes there now, you see, I have an NJ D.L. still... with an optical barcode, not a magnetic one.

Maybe what I need to do is ask for the smokes and when she puts them on the counter, leave exact change, grab the smokes and run out the door? Maybe I need to just pull a weapon and demand that I am able to buy the product? I may as well. They wanna treat me like scum... why not at least act the way they expect me to?

[rktman]

Medicinal marijuana too? Of course that usually results in “slackishness” anyway. :>}

[Drango]

Dang! Sucks to be a smoker...

[Rodamala]

I never buy anything at a drug store except prescription meds.

That poison... <takes long drag off a Lucky Strike>

                    ...mark my words, one day, it will kill ya.

[Chickensoup]

Buy tobacco and a cigarette making machine through the internet and There are some pretty fancy filtered machines avaible. Go around the Beast!

[rktman]

So, maybe there is something to those old conspiracy theories. Hey Big Brother, as soon as you arrive.........

Listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDt49Xdqcb0

How true now.

[pfflier]

That's the way I read it but I asked the pharmacist yesterday when the news came out and he said they would not carry it anymore just order it.

It also means that it must be bought in economically feasible numbers and for them that was 30 pills. That equates to $600.

[Chickensoup]

Some of it is probably what you mention also the use of certain antidepressents and other medications.

[Buckeye McFrog]

They also seem to love this BOGO advertising....neglecting of course to tell you that the price for one is double what you can find it for anywhere else in town.

[Chickensoup]

I quit going to CVS because I could never figure out their hours. I think they were open something like Mon-Thur 10:23am - 3:14pm, with random hours other days, but never when it is dark outside, even if from a rain cloud. Oh, and even if open, you have to roam the store to find the cashier, who is stocking shelves or developing film or out back harvesting the spearmint to make the gum or something.

Thank you.

[Popman]

Personally, I applaud CVS for cutting out those vile, nasty disgusting coffin nails...

In the long run I think it will prove to be a good strategy as stocking cigarettes are labor intensive, and low margin items...

I also think it makes a statement they are willing to take a hit on the bottom line for the health of their customers.

As for the "freedom of choice" aspect of it, what a company does or doesn't do is completely up to them and for the marketplace to balance out...

Where "freedom of choice" is an issue and really the only issue is when government dictates what you can and can not sell...

CVS isn't the government...

[uglybiker]

If you buy within the city in our area they are around $80 a carton, if you buy from a store in the County, they are $58.

Jeepers! Glad I roll my own.

I'm closer to $5 a carton.

[Popman]

Similar story...

I took the wife for a mini vacay last week and we stopped at a Target to get a bottle of wine (wink, wink) to cap the night off sitting on the hotel balcony overlooking the beautiful lake...

The cashier card me !!!

I'm 56 years have a full very gray beard and missing half the hair on my head...

I actually though she was joking so I played along until she explained ANY wine or beer sale needed to have birth date entered for the sale to be finalized...

It printed on the receipt my birthday information..!

[Rodamala]

Dang! Sucks to be a smoker...

Next year I am growing my own... tobacco.

When I moved into my farmhouse last year the previous owners left some other plants in the peonies... Both plants turned out to be females. Now, I don't partake in that other medicinal herb (not one tiny puff in my entire life, actually), but I let those plants grow to maturity before chopping them down... air drying them... trimming it all into really nice buds, and slowly curing it to the best % humidity, according to the internets. It was an interesting lesson, I learned a lot.

Sadly, when my friend came to visit me, we were out on the boat, and had all those 1/2 gallon mason jars with us and wouldn't you know... there was an accident. It was tragic.

Hopefully I don't get put through that with next year's tobacco crop.

[Rodamala]

Go around the Beast!

Ab-so-LUTELY!

ping to 99, above! ;)