Thursday, September 04, 2014

7-ELEVEN SEIZES OPPORTUNITY AS CVS ENDS TOBACCO SALES IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

CVS Pharmacy's announcement that it was ending sales of tobacco products in its stores yesterday sent Bethesda smokers who frequent its area stores to convenience and grocery store competitors. 7-Eleven has posted a sign with warm-welcome vibes for smokers at its River Road store.
7-Eleven welcomes
smokers on River Road
in Bethesda

Obviously, if you're the CEO of 7-Eleven, you're probably an even bigger fan of CVS than you were already just days ago. I regularly shop at several Bethesda CVS stores, and there were always people coming in to buy cigarettes. I've noticed those customers often are there just for the cigarette purchase, meaning they are unlikely to enter the store otherwise. While CVS continues to have all of its other convenience products, and should remain profitable, there's little question its profits will decline in the short term without cigarette sales. As a non-smoker, the change at CVS has no effect on me.

By the way, if you're not a smoker either, there's still a 50¢ small coffee special at 7-Eleven right now, through September 14. The signs are up at River Road and the downtown Bethesda location (at Wisconsin and Fairmont Avenues). Why 50¢? Did you know that 7-Eleven was the first to sell "on-the-go" coffee in America? It launched self-service coffee sales in 1964 on Long Island.

A smoker and a java fiend? It sounds like it's time to celebrate at 7-Eleven.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dropped the ball again Dyer ... Got scooped on Del Frisco and iPic opening dates. Are you going to report on Pike and Rose or are you just going to be a hater?

Snark Addict said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I'm celebrating with a Big Gulp, pack of cigs and a Big Bite hot dog.

Anonymous said...

I applaud this decision by CVS. You may remember that even the NIH adopted their current policies in stages. First they stopped selling tobacco in campus convenience stores, and then they banned smoking on campus altogether.

I do not applaud the trolls on this blog.

Anonymous said...

I applaud the trolls on this blog - still working hard even after summer vacation is over.

Anonymous said...

Are you going to report on this new webiste and all the new shops/stores w/ opening dates or not?

http://www.pikeandrose.com/

Robert Dyer said...

7:46 You're in violation of the comment policy for spamming. Hysterical that you refer to a parking garage crash, because I broke the story on the one earlier this spring - and the source was not a county press release. You didn't post these sort of comments on other websites then, nor after all of the other stories I've had in the last week alone. Your spamming is obvious.

Robert Dyer said...

9:54 I've not only reported on every store, I've actually broken the news on quite a few of them. In addition to the many photo galleries on Pike & Rose I've published, I think regular readers are having a hard time understanding your criticism of my coverage of the development.

Robert Dyer said...

Wrong again, 7:36. Check my comment below.

Snark Addict said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Robert Dyer said...

6:43 PM You're at it again. With the amount of money bankrolling that website, it's hard to believe they'd have to resort to spamming on a blog.

It's time for you to identify yourself - council/campaign staff member, developer, government employee, PR firm - who's paying you to spend all day commenting on blogs?

Brad Longley said...

Doesn't NIH have a McDonalds?

Brad Longley said...

Which website did they mention?

I think you incorrectly assume all anonymous commenters are the same person or they have a political agenda or they are advertising other blogs for profit.

Although some certainly may be.

Anonymous said...

As bad as the trolling is, your overly defensive and high and mighty reactions are only making it worse. What someone said about you immediately saying well someone else did or didn't do something is a childish response. Deal with your own issues here. Don't drag yourself down to their level by calling them out.

Anonymous said...

"High and mighty"? I don't see that. Robert isn't using the royal "we" when referring to himself like other local bloggers do.

Unlike the Post or Gazette, Robert will interact with his readers. That's actually progress!

It's sad that folks are so defensive about news reports on here. No company or government bats 1.000 all the time.

Anonymous said...

He doesn't use the royal we. He only talks about himself and how he broke this story or scooped this site or other. Then he talks about how bad the other guys are.

Anonymous said...

Like this comment. He just couldn't resist his "wrong again" comment.

Anonymous said...

Journalists don't talk about breaking stories?

The press is supposed to serve as watch dogs to those in power, that doesn't make them pompous.

Anonymous said...

Guys, you're arguing about who your favorite bloggers are that cover a suburb of Washington?
Please get a life. No one cares.

Robert Dyer said...

Brad, the negative and off-topic comments clearly come from a handful of people. You'll notice they keep saying the same things over and over.

Robert Dyer said...

9:47 I don't talk about scooping other sites; that was a direct response to a comment claiming other sites are always ahead of me. Please make sure you criticize that guy. When did I talk about "how bad the other guys are?"

Robert Dyer said...

Defending yourself in a civil manner from cowardly, anonymous attacks is never childish, 8:44.

Robert Dyer said...

I don't believe so, Brad. However, the former Naval Hospital used to have one on base. Public access to it was cut off after 9/11, and it later closed, as I recall.