20 Interesting Facts About CVS

By Ashley Paige
Flickr user Mike Mozart
Flickr user Mike Mozart


It's kind of hard not to love drugstores like CVS. There's not only a store location on practically every corner, but the chain also fills just about all your basic needs: food, medication, hygiene and household products, and even things like skin care, clothing, and makeup. If you're curious about the Consumer Value Store that swept America in the '60s, you've come to the right place. Below are 20 intriguing facts about CVS!

  1. In June, CVS will roll out digital receipts as an option for its ExtraCare members (which means no more mile-long paper receipts!). To go digital, customers must complete a one-time opt-in process in store.
  2. CVS's Photo Center prints more than 4 million passport photos every year.
  3. The free CVS Pharmacy app (available on Android and iOS) enables you to print photos from your phone or Facebook for same-day prints.
  4. The first CVS Pharmacy store opened in 1963 and was in Lowell, MA (north of Boston).
  5. There are more than 9,600 CVS Pharmacy locations scattered across 49 states and Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.
  6. CVS offers a variety of scholarships, including for children of employees and those entering the medical field.
  7. CVS was the first major retailer to go smoke-free — it ended all tobacco product sales in stores on Sept. 3, 2014.

    Image Source: Flickr user Mike Mozart

  1. CVS was the first major retailer to open in the New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward location after Hurricane Katrina.
  2. The CVS Health brand is the top-selling brand at CVS Pharmacy.
  3. None of the CVS Health brand products are tested on animals.
  4. CVS Pharmacy fills or manages more than 1.9 billion prescriptions every year.

    Image Source: Flickr user Charles Williams

  1. CVS serves more than 5 million customers every day.
  2. Many CVS stores have coupon kiosks — take advantage of them!
  3. Nearly one in four people in the US have an ExtraCare card.
  4. Sevent-six percent of the US population lives within five miles of a CVS Pharmacy.

    Image Source: Flickr user Mike Mozart

  1. There are 18 million (and growing!) Beauty Club members. Perks include receiving $5 in rewards when spending $50 on qualifying beauty products as well as a $3-ExtraBucks reward on your birthday.
  2. Nail polish was the bestselling beauty product at CVS Pharmacy in 2014, with 21 million units sold.
  3. Essie nail polish in Ballet Slippers was a top-selling shade from New York to Dallas, San Francisco, and Chicago.
  4. Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor is a top-selling lip product in all CVS Pharmacy stores nationwide.
  5. CVS has a shelf tagging system to help consumers make healthier food choices (tags include Non-GMO, Good Source of Protein, Organic, Heart-Healthy, Gluten-Free, and Sugar-Free).
Flickr user S Jones