TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits

Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits

Paul A Lee (palee@riteaid.com)
Mon, 22 Nov 2004 12:39:50 -0500

In TELECOM Digest V23 #555, NoSpamForMe <KeepYourSpam@not.here.net>
wrote (in part):

> Why is it OK for the a big chain like Walgreen's (or CVS,
> Rite-Aid, etc.) to come into a town and drive the little
> independent drugstores out of business ... indeed you salute
> them for opening a new store in your downtown

More often than not, when a Rite Aid pharmacy replaces a little
independent drugstore", we acquire and "pour over" the pharmacy
business into a new or nearby existing Rite Aid store.

Many times, Rite Aid "saves" a small, pharmacist-owned store by
purchasing it for a tidy sum when its business is dwindling, but still
profitable. Typically, most of the pharmacy staff and at least some of
the front end staff are offered positions with Rite Aid.

Our Esteemed Editor then noted (in part):

> I was not praising Goddess for *Walgreens* opening a store
> here so much as I was praising any business for opening in
> our slowly decaying, beginning to show signs of wear and tear
> downtown.

Likewise, Rite Aid has put stores into many locations _after_ a
neighborhood store or another chain has abandoned the area. We've done
architectural matching, historical restorations, and some unique
constructions for urban sites.

By the way, there's no hyphen (but there is a space) in "Rite Aid".
Similarly, there's no hyphen (or space) in "Kmart" (even though it's
often written as "K-mart"), and there _is_ a hyphen in "Wal-Mart"
(even though it's often written as "WalMart"). You don't have to take
my word for it -- just check the legalese at the respectively
eponymous web sites.

Please note that I do *not* speak "officially" for Rite Aid -- these
are just my observations of practices that are part of the public
record.

Paul A Lee Sr Telecom Engineer <palee@riteaid.com>
Rite Aid Corporation HL-IS-COM (Telecomm) V: +1 717 730-8355
30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 F: +1 717 975-3789
P.O. Box 3165, Harrisburg, PA 17105-3165 W: +1 717 805-6208

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is why Walgreen's is getting a
good reception here, even though they will not be open for at least
six or eight more months. (They are bulding from scratch where the
old Alf Landon [former Kansas governor] house sits). Walgreen's has
already joined our Chamber of Commerce, and they plan to build a
very nice looking store at 9th and Maple, and have stated they will
work with the community, at the last town council meeting a few
weeks ago. PAT]

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Paul A Lee: "Re: How Do I Learn an Unknown Number?"
Go to Previous message: Dave VanHorn: "Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits"
May be in reply to: Monty Solomon: "What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits"
Next in thread: Steve Sobol: "Re: What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page