BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI -- A quarter-mile stretch of one of Bay County's busiest roadways for business is soon to feature three national-brand pharmacies.
And that's just as intended, says a spokesman for the Michigan Pharmacists Association.
Work on the new CVS Pharmacy at 101 N. Euclid Ave., at the corner of Midland Road in Bangor Township, continues in earnest as company officials shoot for a summer grand opening. The new CVS, located on the former site of the Texan Family Restaurant, is rising kitty-corner from a Rite Aid Pharmacy, 901 W. Midland St., and about a quarter mile from a Walgreens at 416 S. Eulcid Ave.
Pharmacy facts
Here are some facts about the three national brand pharmacies that, come this summer, all are to be operating within a quarter mile of each other in Bay County:
Year founded:
In 1963, the first CVS store, selling health and beauty products, was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Headquarters:
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Number of stores:
The retail division of CVS Health includes more than 7,800 CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores.
Net revenues and operating profit:
$139 million in net revenue and $8.7 million in operating profit in fiscal year 2014.
Key services and products offered:
Pharmacy, face-to-face patient counseling, vaccinations, general merchandise, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, photo finishing, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, convenience items, loyalty card program.
Company philosophy:
CVS Health is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States.
Products and services to be offered at Bangor Township store:
The new store is to feature a full-service pharmacy with drive-thru, health and beauty departments, food, general merchandise and a digital photo lab.
Size of the store:
12,000 square feet
Number of employees at Bangor Township store:
The new store is expected to employ about 20.
Rite Aid Corp.
Year founded:
In 1962, the first store opened as Thrift D Discount Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Headquarters:
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Number of stores:
Nearly 4,600 stores nationwide, with 276 in Michigan.
Annual sales and profits:
Rite Aid Corp. is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2014 annual revenues of $25.5 billion.
Key services offered:
Wellness stores, in-store health screenings, and a wellness+ loyalty program.
Company mission:
To improve the health and wellness of our communities through engaging experiences that provide our customers with the best products, services and advice to meet their unique needs.
Bay City store hours:
8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, with pharmacy open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, with pharmacy open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, with pharmacy open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Products and services offered at Bay City store:
Pharmacy, prescription home delivery, immunizations, ATM, Western Union, one-hour online photo, digital prints, food and beverages.
Size of the store:
11,082 square feet
Number of employees at Bay City store:
About 15 employees
Walgreens
Year founded:
Walgreens was founded in 1901 in Chicago.
Headquarters:
Deerfield, Illinois
Number of stores:
8,229 in the United States and 230 in Michigan
Annual sales:
Fiscal 2014 sales of about $76 billion.
Key services offered:
Pharmacy, immunizations, over-the-counter medications, daily living items, convenience foods, beauty products, health and wellness products, seasonal items, website, mobile app.
Company mission:
Walgreens' vision is to be America's most loved pharmacy-lead health, well being and beauty service business.
Bangor Township store hours:
The store is open form 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The pharmacy is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Size of the store:
About 14,000 square feet
Number of employees at Bangor Township store:
24
It's also about one mile from Monitor Pharmacy, an independent drugstore at 2981 Midland Road.
To the consumer, this may feel like over-saturation. But, says Eric Roath, director of professional practice with the Michigan Pharmacists Association, clustering of pharmacies is not unusual at all.
"It is a pretty common practice," Roath said. "We see it in lots of cities across the state. There's lots of thoughts and theories as to why that could be."
One theory is that the presence of one or more pharmacies in a geographic area means there's already an established customer base.
"By locating so close together, they're basically making the case that they can be competitive and provide superior service to the patients," Roath said. "If they're dissatisfied with their current service, they now see another option."
Mike DeAngelis, director of public relations for CVS, said company officials picked the Euclid Avenue location based on visibility and convenience.
"We look for locations that are highly visible and easily accessible that will be convenient for our customers," he said.
CVS has about 250 stores in Michigan and 7,800 stores nationwide. The Bangor Township location is to be about 12,000 square feet and feature a full-service pharmacy with drive-thru, health and beauty departments, food, general merchandise and digital photo lab.
It is to employ about 20 people.
Neighbors welcome the competition
Officials from Rite Aid and Walgreens, as well as the owner of the independent Monitor Pharmacy, say they welcome the added competition CVS is bringing to the Euclid Avenue business corridor.
"We believe in competition. Good, friendly competition is good for business and it's good for the consumer," said Phil Caruso, a spokesman for Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens.
Caruso also expressed the company's appreciation for customers who choose Walgreens.
"We look forward to continuing those relationships with our customers in all circumstances."
Kristin Kellum, a spokeswoman for Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid Corp., said pharmacies must work hard to provide customers with quality shopping experiences.
"We believe we provide a one-of-a-kind shopping experience through our customer service oriented associates, wide variety of merchandise and pharmacy programs and services, and 'Wellness+' card, all helping customers achieve their individual health and wellness goals."
DeAngelis, of CVS Pharmacy, said he believes his company sets itself apart from the competition in a number of specific ways.
"CVS/pharmacy is the only national pharmacy that does not sell tobacco, and is the first pharmacy in the nation that has earned the Community Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, the leading health care accreditation organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry," he said.
Formerly known as the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission, URAC is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote healthcare quality by accrediting healthcare organizations.
"We also carry exclusive products and brands not available anywhere else, such as Nuance by Salma Hayek beauty and skincare line," DeAngelis continued. "And our rewards program, ExtraCare, is the largest and longest-running such program in the industry."
Mike Bouckaert, who has owned Monitor Pharmacy with his wife Tammy Bouckaert since 2002, said the introduction of CVS to the area likely won't have a big impact on his business.
"I've always done very well against that type of competition," he said. "We're kind of a different entity than they are."
Bouckaert said Monitor Pharmacy offers things the national chains can't -- like clothing, jewelry and gifts. His store is "tailored to the neighborhood," he said.
He said the pharmacy side of the business also is unique at an independent like his.
"Back in the pharmacy, we're different in that we can generally get people out very, very quickly," Bouckaert said. "We have a lot of products that aren't available at some of the major big box stores."
Last, he said independent pharmacies typically are built over decades based on intensely personal relationships between the business and its customers. He said most of Monitor Pharmacy's employees have worked there for 20 years of more and several have been there more than three decades.
"I've been working here all my life, since I was in seventh grade," he said, nothing he and his wife purchased Monitor Pharmacy from his parents, Don and Jean Bouckaert. "I've seen three generations of some of these families. I have known them, known their kids and, now, know their grandkids."
In the end, Roath, of the Michigan Pharmacists Association, said having multiple pharmacies in close proximity benefits consumers.
"It's a good thing. It offers a lot of patient choice, a lot of competition," he said.
CVS project rolling along
Wayne Shores, senior director of construction for Velmeir Cos., said construction is ahead of schedule. Until recently, officials were estimating the project would be complete by September. Now, Shores said, the store is expected to open Sunday, July 12.
"CVS wanted to try to get the store open sooner, so they authorized us to continue working through the winter," Shores said.
Based in Bloomfield Township, Velmeir Cos. is the preferred developer on the project. All CVS projects in Michigan go through Velmeir's office, Shores said. Oak Park-based Seerco Inc. is the general contractor.
"It's going very well. The masonry walls are complete, steel deck is on ... and they're stating to work on roofing and site work as soon as the ground thaws," he said.
Officials declined to disclose construction costs for the project.
Bangor Township Supervisor Terry Watson said CVS is a welcome addition to the corridor, with its modern, attractive design.
"It's an additional tax base and, over the last eight years, growth has been at a minimum throughout Bay County, so we look at it as a positive thing," he said.
Watson said he isn't surprised that another pharmacy decided to set up shop in Bangor Township. With an aging population comes increased demand for pharmacies, he said.
"A lot of people have commented to me about the number of pharmacies in Bangor Township and this area," he said.
With this new addition, Watson said he hopes the area's existing pharmacies can remain competitive.
"I would like to see, especially the locally-owned, locally-operated pharmacies not be hurt by the big boxes coming in," he said.
-- Heather Jordan is a reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News/The Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. For more news, follow her on Twitter and Facebook.