CVS Pharmacies taking tobacco out of stores

[Knucklehead]

It was announced on the news today that CVS Pharmacies is ceasing all tobacco sales in it's 7600+ stores across the U.S.

 

[NRustica]

Awesome, more home growers on the way! I wonder if they're going to replace it with medical marijuana.

 

[istanbulin]

It sounds normal to me because our pharmacies never sell tobacco as well as snacks, frozen foods, candies, paper towels, deodorants, cosmetics ... etc. Because of this CVS and other chain stores are more like supermarkets to me rather than being pharmacies, so may be they decided to be a real pharmacy and quit selling tobacco as well as other products.

 

[winston-smoker]

I saw the news this morning too. CVS Caremark shareholders may have good reason to sell their shares. Tobacco sales are very profitable, and that profit helps subsidize sales of other items. Without the tobacco sales profits, CVS Caremark will have to increase prices of everything else. That will put CVS Caremark at a competitive disadvantage. Furthermore, many people who go into a store to buy tobacco will often buy other things while they're there. The resulting decrease in "foot traffic" from people no longer coming into their stores to buy tobacco will cause sales of everything else to drop. Bottom line: if you own CVS Caremark stock, sell now!

Frankly, as a tobacco user, I intend to boycott CVS Caremark because of this decision. I'll give my business -- all of it -- to those vendors that make me feel welcome. Now CVS Caremark isn't one of them. Only by taking our business to CVS Caremark's competitors can we stop this from becoming a trend, and if it becomes a trend, then there will be less competition amongst the vendors of tobacco products, and less competition means upward price pressure.

 

[winston-smoker]

I was right [patting myself on the shoulder, lol]! CVS Caremark's discontinuation of tobacco sales is estimated to cost the company two billion dollars annually in lost revenue. Shareholders read my lips: sell now!

P.S. That estimate is just the loss of revenue from tobacco sales ... it doesn't take into account what I said above, that decreased "foot traffic" will harm other sales.

 

[DonH]

At least it will help the mom and pop stores and the tobacconists too.

 

[winston-smoker]

Some thoughts about the inconsistency, or rather the hypocrisy, of this: e-cigarettes aren't going to be sold either, yet CVS Caremark will continue to sell nicotine gum and patches. What gives? Also, CVS Caremark claims they're doing this because "selling cigarettes and providing health care just don't go together in the same setting," to quote the company's chief executive. Well, does selling candy, snacks, and soda and providing health care go together in the same setting any better? Why doesn't CVS Caremark simply stop being a grocery store or convenience store and stick exclusively to pharmaceuticals and health care products, if they're really serious about the reason for this decision?

 

[Brown Thumb]

I just find it kind of odd that the FDA Just started there anti smoking commercials this week also geared towards the teens. Heck, I should have applied for that job. My face would scare the chit out of anyone that even though about picking up a cig let alone a e cigg.

 

[winston-smoker]

Also in the news today: apparently there has been some talk in Congress about banning e-cigs. Don't these people have anything better to do? Like perhaps dealing with this country's mounting debt?

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm still conflicted about whether or not this is a good thing for hobbyists and whole leaf sellers. One day the tax men will be turning their greedy eyes towards us! When tax revenues on cigarettes and other commercial tobacco products falls off, they're going to try to make it up somewhere. The same way they upped the tax on pipe tobacco when RYOer's switched over to dual use tobacco after the big tax hike of RYO tobacco drove them away.

 

[leverhead]

...Don't these people have anything better to do? Like perhaps dealing with this country's mounting debt?

They do, but it doesn't pay as well.

 

[bryonlr]

The health excuse really doesn't wash with me. Not sure about anywhere else, but the local CVS, which there are 3 of within a 20 mile radius, sell more liquor, then all of the local liquor stores, of which there are 12, combined.

 

[jekylnz]

It's always been unusual for us to see the stuff you guys can buy in your drug stores... (we call chemists). none of ours have ever had anything for sale in them like that...only medicines .cosmetics.health products

 

[winston-smoker]

Things Never to Buy at a Drugstore

On "Fox and Friends" this morning was a segment about overpriced items you should never buy at a drugstore.
(1) Batteries - better prices at dollar stores, Amazon.com, and club stores (e.g., Costco)
(2) Cleaning Supplies - better prices at dollar stores and Walmart or Costco, etc.
(3) School Supplies - better prices at dollar stores
(4) OTC drugs and some prescription drugs! - much better prices at Walmart and Costco, etc.
(5) Eye care Supplies - better prices at supermarkets, Walmart, and Costco, etc.
(6) Printing photos - better prices online

 

[holyRYO]

I have to laugh, around here, CVS is the only store that carries my friend's cigarette brand. She loves the ones I make, but making her own did not sit well . I guess driving way out of her way is the better option. I once gave her several bags of baccy, tubes, and a hand slide injector. She tried some, was quite good at it, but I could never get her to close the bags, the baccy was always dried to a crisp, I gave up.

 

[winston-smoker]

I have to laugh, around here, CVS is the only store that carries my friend's cigarette brand.

What brand is that?

If she's not going to make her own, maybe she should look into whether some other store might be willing to special order cartons of her brand for her. It might be worth it for the store to get a new, steady customer.

 

[deluxestogie]

An interesting article on the state of tobacco use reduction efforts in the US.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-02-experts-increasingly-contemplate.html

Bob

 

[leverhead]

I think they're over optimistic, but that's a morale booster for the troops.

 

[holyRYO]

The management of chain stores are very paranoid about employee theft of cigarettes. Because of the crazy taxes, they are now a high dollar item. I know of a chain store that counts each pack, carton, and what is in the warehouse every single day to track/deter theft. The only item in the store they inventory like that.

 

[bonehead]

The management of chain stores are very paranoid about employee theft of cigarettes. Because of the crazy taxes, they are now a high dollar item. I know of a chain store that counts each pack, carton, and what is in the warehouse every single day to track/deter theft. The only item in the store they inventory like that.

around 3 or 4 years ago when i bought cigarettes at the convenience store in the morning with my coffee they had the packs numbered with marker #s 1 through 10 for easy counting at shift changes.