BWM Infinity / Shutterstock.com
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates’ editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services – our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Chances are, if you live in the United States, you’ve shopped at a CVS.
CVS (which stands for Consumer Value Store), has 9,160 locations in the United States. Though primarily located in the midwest and on the East Coast, California has quite a few locations as well. Moreover, these stores can get pretty packed if you don’t know when to shop. Read on to see when consumer experts say are the worst days to shop at CVS, and how you can save next time you go.
Worst Days: Fridays
You just got off work and want to pick up a few things for the weekend. You might think, “CVS isn’t Costco. I’ll be fine heading there Friday after work.”
Not the case.
Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, said if it’s Friday, skip the trip to CVS. “Depending on the location, there’s a good chance that your CVS will receive truck deliveries on Fridays. While that might sound promising, the truth is that employees won’t have time to restock the shelves just yet, so you may not have a great selection on Fridays.” So, most likely, you’re dealing with crowds and low inventory: a dicey combo.
Ramhold added that it’s especially crucial to avoid Fridays and other days right before a big holiday. “[This is] especially [true] if you need to pick up prescriptions, as CVS stores routinely see a huge uptick in traffic in the days leading up to major holidays.” She said to go instead on a Wednesday before a holiday at the absolute latest.
Best Days: Sunday-Wednesday
Experts say CVS has a few days that are more ideal to shop on, so if you can’t make it one day, that’s okay. Though Sunday might seem like a busy day, Ramhold said that’s when you can take advantage of sale items being fully stocked. “If a store has a weekly ad, then it’s likely released on a Sunday. That means that you can shop the deals before they have a chance to sell out.”
Ramhold added that if you can’t make it on a Sunday, Mondays are not a bad choice either, especially if you can go during the workday. “You’ll still likely have the same benefits as shopping on Sunday and it might be better because you could end up with a decent selection but also fewer crowds depending on your area.”
Melanie Musson is a finance expert with Clearsurance.com, and added that Tuesday has some advantages as well. “Tuesday is an ideal day to shop [because] if products are sold out during the weekend, the store has a couple of days to restock.” Musson also recommended stopping by CVS on Wednesday. “Wednesday is one of the best days to shop because it’s close enough to when the sales drop that you can usually find a good selection of products, but it’s less crowded so the shopping experience is less stressful.”
How To Save at CVS
If you want to save some cash at CVS, join their ExtraCare program. It’s free, and you can earn rewards every time you shop at the store. Perks include sales that are only available to ExtraCare members, deals that are based on your past purchases, 2% back in ExtraBucks Rewards on qualifying purchases, and a $3 birthday reward. These rewards can also be earned on pharmacy purchases, so it’s a great idea to enroll if you’re picking up medication from CVS. You can earn up to $50 in ExtraBucks Rewards to apply to future purchases if you opt in to earn rewards from the CVS pharmacy. You can get access to even more deals and rewards if you opt into text messages, emails and app-only notifications.
For $5 a month, you can enroll in CVS’ ExtraCare Plus program. This gets you access to free same-day delivery on purchases that are $10 or more, free shipping, free same-day prescription delivery, 20% off CVS Health branded products, access to a 24/7 pharmacist helpline, and a $10 bonus reward when you join that renews every month. You can try out ExtraCare Plus for free for a month if you inquire in stores.
CVS also has a weekly ad, which comes out on Sundays and shows exactly what items will be discounted that week and how much. You can find the ad on the CVS website or in the CVS app.
More From GOBankingRates