Life as a coupon blogger is always enjoyable, but sometimes I’m invited to peek behind the scenes of some of our favorite retailers. For three days this week, I was in Rhode Island, home of CVS/pharmacy’s headquarters and their 2012 “Extra Extra Care” bloggers’ event.
Along with me, there were 22 other bloggers from around the country in attendance, and CVS noted that via our collective blogs, we represented over two million readers. That’s a pretty powerful statement! So, they brought us together for a few days of updates on what the store is doing, what’s new, what’s changing, and of course, for some fun too.
CVS HQ
Picture this: You walk into the front doors of CVS’s headquarters (actually, I should rephrase a bit, as the CVS HQ is an enormous campus… let’s say, you walk through the doors of ONE building) and you’re greeted with a pleasant-looking white hallway, typical of most office buildings, And then, as you walk a little further, you see…
A CVS store? Inside the building?
Yes! There is an actual CVS store inside the company’s corporate headquarters, but you can’t shop there. This is the CVS Plan-O-Gram, a fully-stocked CVS store that CVS uses to plan promotions, see how displays will look in the aisles, try out new store layouts, and the like. This week, believe it or not, the store is decorated for Halloween, complete with shelves stocked with Halloween candy, costumes, makeup and decorations — everything that will be in our local CVS stores in just a few months.
We got to check out the new “Nail Bar” that will appear in stores later this year:
Some upcoming promotions for CVS’s photo department (okay, that custom photo skin for your phone is pretty cool. Could this possibly push me to finally get a Smartphone?!)
… and, we shoplifted a little. With permission. (I have to confess, this was the first time I ever deliberately took something out of a store without paying for it in my life… but they told us to take a bag of Halloween candy to snack on during our sessions… and I didn’t actually take it from a real store. So is that shoplifting?)
CVS Facts
We spent a lot of time learning all about CVS. Fun facts you may not know:
– 70% of CVS/pharmacy’s business IS the pharmacy. What’s sold in the retail stores make up just 30% of their business.
– The ExtraCare loyalty program is 14 years old and is currently the largest loyalty program in the world, with 275 million unique ExtraCare cards issued to shoppers.
– The CVS Coupon Center machine plays three musical notes when you scan your card. The notes are reminiscent of an old commercial that used to feature “C-V-S” sung in those three notes. They also noted that it’s a happy sound that makes people feel good when they scan their cards. Several of us said it reminded us of the sounds slot machines make in a casino and they said “I’m sure that’s no coincidence..!” wink wink. The machine “pays you!”
– CVS is quite aware of what their largest competitor is doing later this year, loyalty-wise, and CVS manager Ron Price (that’s manager of the entire company, not manager of a particular store)restated the company’s commitment to the ExtraCare program. “We’re NOT rewarding in points. Our loyalty program is a cash value, which is going to be a huge differentiation. Nothing beats bucks!” He added that “Customers deserve transparency. The ExtraCare program was designed for customers. We’ll never give you 7 zillion points and then change the point value on you later.”
Beauty at CVS
80% of CVS shoppers are female. And they love to shop for beauty products. The CVS Beauty Club has over 12 million members since it launched last year, and to date, the Beauty Club has paid out $94,342,570 in Beauty Club ECBs. (Wow!)
The #1 selling product sold to beauty club members at CVS is Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream — one of my all-time personal favorite products, and also a favorite of Debbie Armstrong, Divisonal Merchandise Manager for CVS Beauty Care. Debbie professed to have the “most fun job in the world,” as she is personally responsible for determining which beauty products make it onto CVS’s shelves — trying them, testing them, evaluating them and choosing them. When she mentioned the Olay Regenerist cream, the apparently-40-something Debbie said “If you haven’t tried this stuff, it’s the best. Look at me — I’m really 90!” Hee.
(The second and third top beauty products sold at CVS? Not Your Mother’s Salt Spray styler and Organix Macadamia Oil shampoo.)
Nail polish and nail products are exploding in popularity at CVS. Nail care has sold 40% more this year over a year ago with no signs of slowing down. (There’s some correlation between a down economy and makeup sales going up!) Later this year, CVS stores will roll out the “nail bar” we saw in the CVS Plan-O-Gram store at headquarters.
Gel nails are apparently exploding in popularity, as gel polish does not chip for at least two weeks, but we were told that gel manicures are upwards of $60 each at a salon. I am not a nail polish girl as far as hands go (though my toes are always painted!) but I could never fathom paying that much to have my nails done. We were told that gel-at-home polish kits are starting to hit the market. These kits involve a UV light to set the polish, as well as base coats, top coats and color. Sephora was the first to offer a gel-at-home kit, which is $149. CVS is bringing a kit called SensatioNAIL to the market, which will retail for $59.99. It comes with enough polish for ten manicures, and it’s something they are very excited about offering. I suppose if one salon gel manicure costs $60, this drops the price to $10 per manicure with their kit.
But their top-selling nail polish of all? Essie. It’s affordable and comes in a myriad of colors.
Lastly, this is common knowledge but worth repeating: CVS is a great place to buy beauty products because of their extremely-generous return policy. Buy something and don’t like the color/feel/wear of it? Take it back. No questions asked.
CVS.com and social media
Starting today, June 15th, CVS.com is launching a new redesign with features you may like. If you fill prescriptions at CVS, they have a new homepage that will show you all of your prescription info on the homepage — a calendar showing when your refills are due, when your prescription will run out, and which prescriptions belong to which family members.
You can also set up text alerts to let you know when your prescriptions are ready.
Extra Care Bucks will also factor into the new design. If you register for a free account and tie your ExtraCare card to it, you will be able to log in, see your ExtraBucks offers — and in some cases, you’ll be able to print your Extra Care Bucks at home from your printer if you’ve lost them. (They did specify that some manufacturers may opt out of allowing a second print, but added that coupons that print at the coupon center and haven’t been used will be able to be reprinted from your CVS.com account too.)
This summer, a much-requested feature will be added to CVS.com too – the ability to check stock at your local store on items you’re looking for. This should help lessen the “did they get any more in stock?” woes of the deal-chaser.
You will also be able to use some of your ECBs (depending on the promotion) to shop at CVS.com. Purchases at CVS.com don’t generate ECBs — the online sales are usually different than what’s in store — but you’ll be able to type in the number on your ECB and apply it to what you’re buying online. (Again, this depends on the promotion – some ECB offer will not qualify for online use.) CVS.com is also implementing more “flash sales” — time-sensitive offers at deeper discounts — that they will give bloggers heads-ups on so that we can pass that information on to you.
There’s also a “My CVS” app that you can download to your smartphone. Among other things, you can use your phone’s camera to snap the barcode on your ExtraCare card, and then you don’t need to carry the card any more. You can show your phone at the register, or scan it at the Coupon Center. You can also load coupons you printed at the Coupon Center to your ExtraCare card via the app:
CVS reps discussed their commitment to social media, touching on the popularity of the Beauty Club Facebook page. This year, they’re adding a full-time dermatologist to the staff, who will be able to answer questions about skincare on behalf of CVS, on Facebook.
Bonus! Asking questions may generate Extra-Care Bucks for you! They plan to do random ECB rewards when people ask Facebook questions on their wall — just because! Because it’s fun. Because we like ECBs. Because it gets us to go back to CVS.
My thoughts:
As a blogger, I’m regularly faced with readers asking questions that they would like me to find out the answers to. Some retailers are more accessible than others in this regard — others make you jump through a lot of hoops via email, and you cross your fingers and hope that you get a timely response from them. CVS really is a company that cares about its customers.
Throughout the past three days, we spent session times, mealtimes, and after-hours-times with CVS’s managers, directors, and vice presidents of services. They get it. They understand this relatively-new marketplace that bloggers are working in, how their customers share information with each other, and how valuable a resource it is to provide that conduit of information quickly, and directly, to their shoppers and to bloggers asking questions on the behalf of millions of readers. It’s wonderful to see the dedication and commitment to its shoppers and bloggers that CVS expressed with this event.
CVS also likes to have fun. There were many memorable moments throughout the conference that were unexpectedly injected with humor:
CVS is well aware that shoppers call the Coupon Center the “Magic Coupon Machine!”
When the bloggers arrived at our hotel rooms, we each found a basket with beauty product samples and snacks to enjoy during the trip. There were CVS Gold Emblem chocolate chip and caramel cookies, roasted almonds, bottled water, and a bag of M&Ms unlike any I’d ever seen before:
(I’m pretty sure you won’t find these at CVS!)
When we were exploring the CVS Plan-O-Gram store, I spotted a funny display of medications near the Minute Clinic in the back of the store. It’s designed to help immediate problems, asking “What’s Wrong?” You can pick up a package of medication specific to whatever ails you.
Pretending I had nausea, I picked up “Help! I am nauseous.” The box reads:
Well, then I had to read more of them! Here’s “Help! I have allergies.”
And “Help! I have a headache.”
And “Help! I have a blister.”
Another experience I won’t forget? Wednesday night’s dinner.
Have you ever gone to a “sensory dining experience?” On the final night of the event, the CVS crew and the bloggers in attendance were invited to a dinner party celebrating the release of a new all-natural candy line called “Unreal.” Celebrity chef Adam Melonas created the new line of candy, which will be carried in CVS locations later this summer (and I’ll have a blog giveaway for you too when Unreal is closer to hitting the stores!)
But on Wednesday, Chef Adam prepared a gastronomic dining experience as part of the Unreal candy launch. It lasted over three hours and culminated in a tasting party for all of the new candy. But before that, you won’t believe what I ate last night…
Read on: Octopus Flowers, Cobra Skin, and Watermelon Tuna: My gastronomic dining experience.
CVS/pharmacy sponsored my trip to Providence, Rhode Island, for their “Extra Extra Care” bloggers’ event. All opinions expressed on JillCataldo.com regarding the event, CVS/pharmacy and products sold in their stores are my own.
Green Is Good says
Sounds like a lot of fun! Very interesting! I hope they increase their stock once walgreens changes their program! I think they are going to have an influx of customers! I have always liked CVS better!
Julieb says
Wow! Jill you are so lucky – that must have been such a fun experience! I particularly love that they have a sense of humor about things an that they aren’t just a bunch of stuffy suits. The “HELP, I’m … ” photos really cracked me up!!! Oh…one more thing…you can actually buy those M&M’s online with customized pictures and phrases on them. My M&M’s Online. It’s very cool! We’ve done this for Christmas time with our family photo along with a “Merry Christmas” on the other side. It makes for a great candy to put out for parties!
Yukipr says
Well, reading about your experience and the blogging power present during the 3-days at the headquarters, I think that CVS accomplished what they wanted, a nice PR for their business. It is really nice to see the Help! box and I agree with the other people that responded, they do have a great sense of humor. What I like the best? The care, the courtesy and everything else they did. That is the main reason of what I love going to CVS. I always go to the same store and they always help me to get what I need, plus I never have a problem with a coupon. They greet me when I come in, and so on. So, it is really nice to read that they do what they preach all the way from upper management down to the individual stores.
I am glad you had a blast!
Dmpannke says
Wish we had one up in McHenry/Johnsburg area.
mrsschafe says
My CVS has the new Unreal candy. It seems like a great idea, but I am not sure how many of us that watch our pennies will buy it. It is 4.99 for 7 oz.-10.5 oz.
Hopefully, there will be some good promos for this as it becomes available.