ADVENTURES CLOSE TO HOME: Battle of the Drug Store Loyalty Programs

Here in sunny, Southern California, we have three major drug store chains...CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreen's.  We used to have a couple of more, like SavOn (miss them) and Long's, but they were swallowed up by the CVS behemoth.

There was also Thrifty, but they were bought out and became Rite Aid.  Nothing special about the new store, or it's service, but they did keep the Thrifty ice cream counters and still serve Thrifty ice cream in most of our local stores. That is very special to the natives here.

CVS, really kind of a chore to shop here especially since SavOn was so easy and all the SavOn locations became the three letter wonder.  The only thing good I can say about them is that they have a branch located across the street from my office, making it easy to step across the street to get my occasional 12 pack of diet soda.

Walgreen's is usally a fairly pleasant place to shop. They also have little mini stores where you can pop in and out, or go through the drive through to get your prescriptions. There's one across the street from our doctor's office so we go there for our medicines.

Each of these also has their own loyalty program and, while I would normally skip them, you don't get the sale prices if you're not a member. The result is we're members of all three.  Here's how they rate:

RITE AID - Other than sale prices, haven't gotten anything from this one. Recently, they changed it to be part of Plenti.com. This allows you to earn points at a bunch of other places that I hardly shop at such as Exxon/Mobil, Macy's, and Hulu. Last time I was in Rite Aid and punched in my phone number, the cashier gave me a new Plenti card, told me my old account is no longer valid, and to go to plenti.com and just enter my e-mail address to activate. 

Went to Plenti.com to do this and it asks for a bunch of other information from the card, which I didn't have handy.  Since I don't go to Rite Aid all that much anymore, I don't know if or when I'll ever get around to this step.  Feel a bit like I've been sold down the river but since it never did that much for me in the first place, I'm a bit ambivalent about the whole thing.

CVS - Another one I signed up for just because you can't get the sale prices without it. Occasionally, coupons will print out on my receipt for discounts on items I rareley buy at CVS. Lately, they've upped the ante saying if I bring my card in (usually, I just enter the number in the keypad), scan it in a little machine, I'll get even more coupons .

Pass.

Walgreen's - Since we go here the most, I signed up for this one, too. It's pretty straightforward.  Earn points on each purchase.  When your balance goes over 5,000 points, you can use it to pay for things.  Each 5,000 points equals $5 but you can't cash in more that $10 at a time.  You even earn points on the copays for your prescriptions.

You only need your phone number to earn and redeem points and they send you a balance sheet each month.  Super easy...I think you know which loyalty program keeps me loyal.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

THINGS WE LIKE - Grocery Stores

We live just down the street from the headquarters of Trader Joe's.  This is close to the perfect market (so far the absolute perfect market has eluded me).  Fresh produce, high quality meat, gourmet products, large wine & beer selection, full liquor department (where local laws allow), and much more in a small, user friendly space.  Oh, and they're always giving away food and drink samples.  And one more thing, their prices are usually lower than the large chain supermarkets.  An example, a dozen jumbo eggs at Albertson's cost over $3.  At Trader Joe's is $1.89.

The things that keep it from being perfect are a poor selection of sodas and their habit of dropping an item you just grew to love.

On the other hand, they have so much to love that an occasional drop is OK.  Our favorite go-to item here is the Asian orange chicken that tastes better than Panda Express.

I have to admit, I didn't warm up to Fresh & Easy right away.  The first one I went into seemed like a low-rent Trader Joe's...sort of a cross between TJ's and Superior Foor Warehouse.  They opened one up around the corner from me and, although it took awhile, I've grown to love this American child of the large British Tesco chain.

First of all, it's convenient.  In and out in just a minute.  Like TJ's, the stores are smaller than a supermarket.  The produce is fresh and there's alway a 98 cent special on that aisle.  The prices are low and F&E doesn't shy away from name brands.  I can get my Coke and Dr. Pepper here where I can't at TJ's. There is also a very large selection of premade food at low prices if you don't like to cook.  Example?  A nicely done ham and eggs breakfast you heat up in the microwave for $2.49.

The reason prices are low here are because of a minimalist approach.  Plain concrete floors, basic shelving units, LED lighting, and you scan your own groceries.  You bag them too on the express lanes.  You may not like this at first but once you find out how quick you can get in and out, coupled with the money you just saved, you'll start to come around.

If either of these two stores are in your neighborhood, consider yourself lucky.  When travelling, look for them for the quick and easy products that you always seem to end up needing.  Check the links above to see if they are located where you're heading.

-Darryl