Drugstore chain CVS pushes convenience with curbside pickups

CVS Health will spread its curbside pickup service to drugstores nationwide this year, as traditional retailers continue to hone their reputations for convenience and fight fierce competition online.

The nation's second-largest drugstore chain has partnered with the technology firm Curbside to create CVS Express, a program that lets shoppers buy products with an app and then pick them up about an hour later at a nearby store, where an employee will deliver them to the car.

The company currently offers curbside pick-up services at 361 stores but has room to grow with more 7,900 retail locations nationwide.

By converting their own stores into pickup locations, retailers avoid the extra costs of packing and shipping, and they can offer more flexibility for time-starved shoppers.

Target Corp., based in Minneapolis, has also teamed up with Curbside and is testing the service in five markets that cover 122 stores, says Eddie Baeb, a company spokesman.

Mulpuru said that retailers have to invest in concepts like curbside services that may dilute profitability but could help them keep their market share over the long term, as Amazon and other competitors vie for their business.