over-the-counter

CVS is planning a new approach to expansion– downsizing.

CNN reports the drugstore chain is opening around a dozen new stores this year. But the new shops won’t have the traditional CVS format stocked with toiletries, beauty products, and snacks. Instead, the smaller format store will only have a pharmacy.

A CVS spokesman told CNN the new stores “will be designed to meet the community’s specific pharmacy needs,” with a full service pharmacy and an inventory of over-the-counter products.

“By taking a customized approach to our footprint that is focused on the specific needs of the communities we serve, we’re continuing to strategically realign our pharmacy footprint to better support patient and ensure the right geographic coverage,” a CVS spokesperson told CNN.

The pharmacy chain’s expansion comes on the heels of a three-year plan to close 900 stores. In 2024, CVS also started to shutter some of its pharmacies in Target.