Identifying new markets and opportunities with range of products and services that are offered has helped the company grow. Online and 24-hour operations have also encouraged and drawn more customers. The cost and barriers to entry for the company are relatively lower when compared to other smaller chains. Being a large organization, CVS has better bargaining and negotiating power with its suppliers. Buying to satisfy economies to scale can help the company better manage its inventory. Better distribution and warehousing techniques can help increase the inventory turnover in the stores. Having a recognizable brand name can help the company manage the hurdles of entering new markets more effectively. Offering customers CVS cards and special offer discounts on the card has helped bring back many customers. Regular shoppers can also avail special discounts through use of this CVS card. CVS is also introducing electronic transaction terminals that can transmit consumer account information over radio waves. (bizjournals.com, 2005) Threats: Walgreen's is the leading pharmacy chain in the U.S. In addition, other pharmacy chains...

And Rite Aid Corp are also aggressive competitors for the company in almost all the markets that it operates in. With a growing trend of HMO having self-managed pharmacy plans and major hospitals supporting their own in-house pharmacies the scope of the pharmaceutical wing of CVS might be impacted. The increase of stores like Wal-Mart, K-mart and Target that carry similar products has also posed a challenge.
Also, stores like Wal-Mart offer these products at consistently lower prices that any other pharmaceutical company, Walgreen included. Customers also are now seeking specialized and high-end cosmetic products that are not sold in pharmacies, but rather in departmental stores and shopping malls.

Bibliography bizjournals.com. Cvs Prescribes Hypercom Terminals for Its Stores. 2005. June 20, 2005.

CVS. Cvs. 2005. Yahoo Finance. Available:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CVS.June 20, 2005.

Yahoo-Finance. Industry-Drug Stores. 2005. Yahoo-Finance. Available:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/in?s=CVS.June 20, 2005.