Shopping Discussion

Is Walmart products good - Huge Price difference between Walmart and Shoppers Drugmar

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  • Nov 8th, 2012 12:20 am
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Banned
Nov 4, 2012
19 posts
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KITCHENER
You can price match between both stores :D
Go to the one that is cleaner or more convenient to shop at!
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Dec 11, 2005
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Winkle wrote: It is mostly for convenience I believe, SDM is one of the few pharmacies that are open to the public 24/7 and they do home deliveries which are ideal for the elderly or those who cannot easily get to another pharmacy that is cheaper.
The main things SDM makes money on are #1, perscriptions, and #2, cosmetics. They make hardly any money on anything else. This is why the cosmetics section is right in your face when you enter the place, and why the perscription counter is as far from the door as it can possibly be.
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Jan 7, 2002
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brunes wrote: The main things SDM makes money on are #1, perscriptions, and #2, cosmetics. They make hardly any money on anything else. This is why the cosmetics section is right in your face when you enter the place, and why the perscription counter is as far from the door as it can possibly be.
I suspect they make far more money on cosmetics than on prescriptions.

Cosmetics, especially name brands, has always been a high margin business. The main challenge for SDM over the past couple of decades was to get women to buy their cosmetics at SDM rather than at traditional outlets like department stores.

Prescriptions are becoming less and less profitable as governments and insurers squeeze the suppliers/prescribers. Witness the recent skirmishes in Ontario between the government and pharmacists over kick-backs from the drug industry.

That's one reason why drugs are at the back of the store. It's the same reason staples like bread and milk are at the back of a grocery store. They want you to go through as much of the store on your way to get them in order to entice you to buy the high margin stuff on impulse as you go by.

I suspect SDM also makes money on OTC drugs and personal care products, again especially the name brands. But yes, it's hard to see how they can make money on groceries. They're probably counting on getting suckers in the door to buy groceries at or near cost, hoping that while they're there they buy lots of the high margin stuff on impulse.
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May 25, 2009
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Cosmetics is indeed quite profitable, also one of the reasons why The Bay has survived as long as it has. They have a huge cosmetics section right at the front of every store, they're one of the few stores that have so many brands under the same roof.

I only go to SDM when they have their regular Duraloop sales or the occasional sales on Mrs Field's cookies.
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May 29, 2005
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this is typical over-pricing for SDM......i only go when they have something on sale i want. & i HATE as soon as i walk in the store i am bomb-barded with "Hi,,,how r you"? .. by an overly made up hussy.. :mad:

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