CVS Expands Same-Day Prescription Delivery Nationwide
CVS has decided its customers will no longer have to wait a couple of days to have their prescriptions delivered. The pharmacy chain is now offering same-day delivery nationwide, almost a year after introducing one- and two-day shipping, the company announced last week. CVS will partner with Shipt, a Target company, to deliver prescriptions the same day they’re filled. The service will cost $7.99. CVS first tested same-day delivery in New York in late 2017, and expanded the service to a handful of other cities last summer. It’s now available at 6,000 of CVS’ nearly 10,000 stores, the company said.
Total Retail's Take: Growing consumer demand for same-day delivery has been a trend retailers have been tracking for some time now, but there are certain product categories — e.g., grocery, prescription drugs — where that need is heightened. Consumers that need a prescription for whatever ailment they have aren't willing to wait a day or two to receive it; they want it right away. CVS is addressing this consumer desire with the expansion of its same-delivery program. Furthermore, CVS needs to keep adding services to its offerings if it wants to retain the top spot in a increasingly competitive category. Amazon.com's purchase of online pharmacy PillPack last year as well as a growing number of startup online pharmacies entering the space has ratcheted up the pressure for traditional pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens. CVS’ same-day delivery nationwide is a step in the right direction.
