The Devolution of Society, Part LXXVII
Dear CVS Pharmacy,
Congratulations. You have turned one of my favorite stores into a yet another trashy eyesore. Longs Drugs was always my go-to store for everything from cosmetics, to vitamins, to paperbacks for my Mom, to late night emergency school project supplies. There was an element of understated quiet about their style of selling. There were always sales items, and coupons in the local paper, but nothing was garish.
Until CVS bought Longs out this last month shopping was a pleasant experience.
Today I pulled up to see in the window a big, ugly white sign: MILK $2.49-- like some trashy cut-rate cheapo- grocery outlet two-weeks- past -its- pull- date- discount- store. Yuck. And it was all downhill from there.
Now I realize that the store is still in transition and the shelves can't be expected to be fully stocked and I guess rearranging the ENTIRE FREAKIN' STORE was your way of pissing on the corners of the building to claim the territory. Fine.
But you've jammed the space with twice as many aisles as it used to have giving it a crowded...trashy...feeling. And oh god, I hope you're not going to keep those aisle end shelves stocked with odd stuff that has nothing to do with the contents of that section of the store (like Gatorade stuck at the end of the hair color aisle, or magazines at the end of the vitamin aisle) You've put in bar code scanners like freakin' K-Mart so no one can tell what things cost without hunting down a scanner. And those stupid, stupid coupons and "savings" cards like Safeway--omg. You wanna do the consumer a favor just give us lower prices. Don't make us save little wads of paper. Bleah...
But most telling and most disgusting of all is that you've doubled the number of alcohol aisles and moved them from where Longs had them discretely off to one side behind tall shelving, to right out in front-- the first thing you see when you walk in the door. The first thing kids will see when they walk in the door.
And the paperbacks, magazines, school and office supplies? Moved to the farthest back corner of the store.
The message is clear. You are looking for a change in patronage. You are not trying to appeal to people who can read and write or who help their children with their homework. You want customers looking for cheap booze in a hurry.
It feels just gross in there now, and more so because of stark contrast from the way it used to feel.
I need to find a new drug store.
Congratulations. You have turned one of my favorite stores into a yet another trashy eyesore. Longs Drugs was always my go-to store for everything from cosmetics, to vitamins, to paperbacks for my Mom, to late night emergency school project supplies. There was an element of understated quiet about their style of selling. There were always sales items, and coupons in the local paper, but nothing was garish.
Until CVS bought Longs out this last month shopping was a pleasant experience.
Today I pulled up to see in the window a big, ugly white sign: MILK $2.49-- like some trashy cut-rate cheapo- grocery outlet two-weeks- past -its- pull- date- discount- store. Yuck. And it was all downhill from there.
Now I realize that the store is still in transition and the shelves can't be expected to be fully stocked and I guess rearranging the ENTIRE FREAKIN' STORE was your way of pissing on the corners of the building to claim the territory. Fine.
But you've jammed the space with twice as many aisles as it used to have giving it a crowded...trashy...feeling. And oh god, I hope you're not going to keep those aisle end shelves stocked with odd stuff that has nothing to do with the contents of that section of the store (like Gatorade stuck at the end of the hair color aisle, or magazines at the end of the vitamin aisle) You've put in bar code scanners like freakin' K-Mart so no one can tell what things cost without hunting down a scanner. And those stupid, stupid coupons and "savings" cards like Safeway--omg. You wanna do the consumer a favor just give us lower prices. Don't make us save little wads of paper. Bleah...
But most telling and most disgusting of all is that you've doubled the number of alcohol aisles and moved them from where Longs had them discretely off to one side behind tall shelving, to right out in front-- the first thing you see when you walk in the door. The first thing kids will see when they walk in the door.
And the paperbacks, magazines, school and office supplies? Moved to the farthest back corner of the store.
The message is clear. You are looking for a change in patronage. You are not trying to appeal to people who can read and write or who help their children with their homework. You want customers looking for cheap booze in a hurry.
It feels just gross in there now, and more so because of stark contrast from the way it used to feel.
I need to find a new drug store.