Digital order/pickup service to roll out in 40 major markets

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Following three pilots launched in the spring, CVS Pharmacy is rolling out its CVS Curbside Pickup service to more than 4,000 stores.

Plans call for the free service, accessed via the CVS Pharmacy app or CVS.com, to go live on Monday in 40 major markets nationwide, including many stores in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle and the District of Columbia.

CVS Curbside Pickup enables CVS Pharmacy shoppers to buy front-end products and over-the-counter items — including health, beauty and grocery offerings — via the retailer’s mobile app or on CVS.com. The orders are then delivered right to their car within an hour at any participating CVS Pharmacy location.

The service made its debut in April as a CVS Express pilot in San Francisco, Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. CVS said the service quickly grew in popularity after launching in those markets, with repeat user rates climbing to nearly 56%.

“We are thrilled to launch CVS Curbside Pickup at locations nationwide,” Brian Tilzer, senior vice president and chief digital officer at CVS Health, said in a statement. “The rollout of CVS Curbside on such a large scale represents our commitment to creating digital innovations that make customers’ lives easier, as well as marks a groundbreaking milestone in the retail industry.”

CVS developed the service through its Digital Innovation Lab in tandem with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Curbside, the maker of the store pickup app. CVS said the service is the industry’s first retail solution that integrates Curbside’s technology right into the drug chain’s app.

“To meet the demands of today’s increasingly mobile and on-the-go customers, CVS Pharmacy and Curbside have created the first service that expands the role of thousands of retail pharmacy locations across the country to provide efficient online fulfillment at the local store,” stated Jaron Waldman, co-founder and chief executive officer of Curbside. “Curbside’s proprietary technology for smooth pickup and in-store pick-and-pack operations is helping CVS Pharmacy connect its store locations to online commerce while providing a tremendous service to customers at a nationwide scale.”

The first time customers access the service, they create an account and link to their CVS ExtraCare rewards card. Next, they select a pickup store shop from among thousands of nonprescription products. The store gathers the order and lets the customer know when it’s ready, typically in about an hour. The customer drives to the store and parks in the designated pickup spot, and the purchase is brought to the customer’s car. Customers also can choose to have their order ready for pickup in the store.