CVS' big announcement in the war against tobacco

CVS Caremark recently announced that they will stop selling tobacco at all CVS/pharmacy stores by October of this year.  This is a big step - they're the first national pharmacy chain to implement a ban on tobacco products.  

I don't smoke and never have (funny story: my mom's parents both did and I would fake cough whenever I saw them smoking, to show them just how bad it was.  My jig was up when I did it one time when I saw the steam from a humidifier.).  So I have no idea how or even if this will actually impact smokers at all.  I'm sure they'll find somewhere else to buy some smokes (that's the correct terminology, right?). So, while it might be a nuisance, I'm not sure that this is something that smokers will be up in arms about. 

It will surely cost CVS - to the tune of $2 billion a year, although they have strategies in place to offset those lost sales (so investors need not freak out just yet).  It's unclear if that number is just from the sale of cigarettes, or if it also includes everything else someone dropping into CVS for cigarettes might buy.  

You know how it goes.  You stop into a store for one thing and end up with 8 packs of gum, 3 funny cards that you don't really know who you're going to send them to, and a new face cream with a cool looking box.  I'd imagine this happens to people stopping in for cigarettes, too.  But either way, $2 billion isn't chump change.  So this is a big decision for CVS. 
 
And its a noble one (and, you know, also really good for their image), and one that aligns with their mission to promote health and reduce the burden of disease. I can get behind that.  In the last few years, they've taken a lot of steps to move toward being more than just a pharmacy and store where you go to buy stocking stuffers and holiday-themed everything.  

They've introduced in-store screenings, medical advice, flu shots, etc.  I've never actually used them for any of that, but from what I've heard, it's pretty good and convenient.  And it's a great way to encourage people to take better care of themselves. 

But the thing that gets to me  is that, for as much as they talk about supporting the health and well-being of their patients, they're forgetting that they're not a health food store.  They're basically a really nice mini mart or bodega that also happens to have access to prescription drugs.  

If you've ever gone into a CVS (or Duane Reade or really any pharmacy), they have a plethora of stuff in a relatively small and convenient box (that's industry lingo for store size).  There's some stuff you need, some stuff you'll never need, and a lot of stuff that makes you wonder who on earth would ever buy it. Some of the stuff is healthy, for sure.  You can get medications and bandages and some realtively good-for-you grab and go snacks.  

But they also have aisles of chips, and cookies, and candy.  They have candy as you're checking out.  Depending on the store you go to, they have cases of soda and other sugary drinks (which is a debate in and of itself that keeps raging on).  Some stores have beer (this might just be a New York City phenomenon though).  They have an aisle of supplements, some of which are probably on the questionable side.

Each season, they change up a whole aisle to include seasonal and holiday appropriate candies.  Heart shaped boxes of chocolate for Valentine's day.  Jelly beans and peeps for Easter. Red and green everything for Christmas.

All of this stuff makes it an incredibly convenient place to shop (expect when they don't have what you want when you think they should.  Like lemon juice.  Damn CVS on 42nd and 3rd.).  And trust me, I'm not complaining about this.  I've bought all sorts not great for you things there. I've bought all sorts of random things there too. 

Doing away with cigarettes definitely shows that they're invested in their customers' health (and in getting a lot of great press).  But I'm not sure how I feel about them claiming that they are trying "to help people on their path to better health" when you can go in there and buy a box of Pop Tarts to wash down with some Oreos and Cool Ranch Doritos, and follow that up with a 2 liter bottle of soda and a six pack of beer. 

Yes, they are miles away from the days when they didn't offer any in-store service and sold cigarettes by the carton, but they are still miles and miles away from being able to claim that they are really a store that is helping, in everything that they do, to promote health and prevent disease. 

And honestly, I don't ever think that they'll get there.  Grocery is a big part of most of their stores and the convenience aspect of being able to pick up a snack as you're popping in for a prescription and some shaving cream is something that they've built their brand on.  Which is fine, because that's who they are.  

But if someone asked me to name a health store, CVS probably wouldn't be the first (or even fifth) name that pops into my mind.  They're great at what they do and it's great that they're taking a stand to curb tobacco usage, but I think that they might be getting to a point where their claims of helping people live a healthy lifestyle will begin to overreach a bit.  

What do you think? Do you shop at CVS?  Would you consider them a health-focused store?