Longs Drugs

When CVS says you’ll get money off on your purchase they don’t mean at the cash register when you check out. They instead give you «Value Bucks» which have to be used in a short period of time and on another visit. This means you have to keep track of the «value buck» and remember to use it before it expires. This is such a nuisance I’ll probably stop shopping at CVS. As «Longs» it was my favorite store of that type.

The CVS store makeup just feels wrong and now the staff and systems seem to be inadequate. I came in to purchase an item and it scanned in at 2 dollars more than the price on the shelf. The clerk said it must be because he didn’t scan my «ExtraCare» card and took me through a refund process. When he rerang the item and the price was still wrong he simply shrugged his shoulders and said the price was the price — no offer to go look at the shelf tag (which read «recently lowered» or something to that effect.). I did not therefore buy the item and simply walked out. This visit to the store was a waste of my time. I guess Rite Aid Alamo will be my new place.

Did you know that there is a whole sub-​culture of bargain shoppers, with their own language: ECB, RR, internet coupons, and RedPlum? Some of these ladies can pair coupons with ECBs to «make money.» I have to say, I’m very impressed, but I can’t work that hard to «make» a dollar.
That said, this CVS, which is open for 24 hours a day, is lovely. And, you just have to be in a mellow mood when the person in front of you wants to use 18 coupons on five separate transactions.
Kudos to the person working the cash register with grace under pressure and to the manager who knew when to jump on another register herself to keep the customers happy.

Walking into CVS is physically painful. The new aesthetic involves fluorescent lighting that makes me want to cry/​retreat to the forest, primary colors, and teal generic brand products encroaching and even taking the place of some old staples. Many of the shelves are completely empty, the staff is noticeably unhappy, and the checker was visibly embarrassed while wringing up maxi-​pads for my heavy flow days– poor guy.
Oh, not to mention the store is literally unnavigable. Logical store organization is notably lacking, aisles are not clearly marked, and empty displays and boxes of CVS brand toxins are strewn about, riddling the aisles with reminders of how terrible a shopping experience you are having. I found myself timidly wandering through the corporate satellite, lost, feeling as if I’d been colonized and expecting the worst around every corner. The conversion is obviously not going smoothly.
Bottom line, CVS is a train wreck of a store. Shopping there will probably make children cry, and I bet it increases your chance of contracting ebola. I would send someone here that I didn’t like, you know, if I were a less savory character.
And RIP Long’s, you old dog. You really did have an increasingly good vibe – a nice locally owned feel, a small but well-​stocked natural product section, not overly harsh lighting, and a well-​organized and maintained store.

This review is for the new CVS Pharmacy that has taken over Long’s. In two words They Suck… already pairing down and discontinuing most every product I used to go to Long’s for. If that’s not bad enough, they are raising prices on almost everything else. They no longer carry my hair product, which is so inconvenient, now I have to go to the stupid hair supply store that is so far out of my way. The brand of Milk Thistle and other Vitamins I take have been discontinued, or converted to the CVS name. Totally lacking in choices. They have paired down their magazine section to practically nothing, and to add insult to injury they got rid of my Arrid XX roller-​ball deodorant that is the absolute best on the market, it goes on dry, lasts all day, and doesn’t transfer to your clothing. I thought drugstores were all about convenience, well not anymore. I loved Long’s, I am so upset to see it come to this. I used to be able to do one stop shopping, not any more. If I could find a better drugstore to shop at I would, but Long’s was the best. Rite Aid sucks, and don’t even get me started on Wallgreen’s. One last thing, what is it with these stupid CVS cards that you have to sign up for in order to receive a discount? Just another thing for me to carry around, and promptly lose. RIP Long’s I will miss you.

This is a great Longs for their nursery selection: I bought several flame-​like Celosias here for 1.99 per six pack. I took them home and potted them. It’s been a couple of months now and they’re thriving.
They also have good liquor sales and rival Rite Aid for boxed beer sale prices (although I’d give Rite Aid the slight edge as far as price).
The most surprising thing about this Long’s is their shampoo section. They have several high-​end shampoos including L’Oreal’s Kerastase, which is a whopping $ 34.00 (approx) per bottle.
I buy the Sappo Hill soap range here, lots of «flavors» and they last much, much longer than Dr. Bronner Magic Soaps. Magic, eh? How about magically making the soap last longer than two weeks?
There’s a bathroom here for patrons to use, as there is at every Longs. It can vary in terms of cleanliness but it’s by no means a nasty bathroom.
CVS took over Longs and has started re-​branding it more aggressively in weekly flyers and online. Kind of sad to see a California institution die.

What a great Longs! While there are locations closer to my home, I will not hesitate to come here. Open 24 hours and this location is huge, I almost got lost in there. They even have a small section of fresh produce if you’re itching for a salad in the middle of the night.
Soon to be converted over to CVS Pharmacy… hopefully the hours don’t change!

I think this may be the only thing in Walnut Creek open 24 hours, that alone makes Long’s pretty great. This location has received the much-​needed upgrade from the orange-​brown décor they used to have to a much brighter, fresher look. They have an excellent selection of liquor here with sometimes better prices than BevMo so it’s perfect for that last minute bottle of wine or a mixer for cocktails. Also top on my list is their extensive school supplies section. I don’t know what it is about school supplies… I’m not in school anymore, but I just like to ogle uni-​ball pens and college-​ruled paper for some reason. I’ve also picked up many a holiday-​related fun gift, decoration, costume from this store. My husband often opts to shop here for some last-​minute groceries because the lines are never as insane as Target or Safeway and the parking lot is WAAAY more spacious than Trader Joe’s. Long’s really is the modern-​day general store — everything basic you need under one roof, which will keep me coming back for years to come.

This Longs is like the friend you think will let you down, but ends up pulling through. Always.
On several occasions (before work, after work, 11:30 at night, 6 in the morning) this location has saved my day. I needed tights one morning when all of my tights got holes in them (yah, one of those days); Longs saved the day, and kept my legs warm. I needed a last minute bottle of wine for a party; Longs’ wide selection of low end wines saved me time and money. I ran out of face wash; Longs has that AND I ended up finding THE perfect Christmas tree skirt for $ 8.
Also, every year I forget, but they are open 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. I think I call them every Christmas only to find out that, once again, Longs has pulled through.

I went there last night for a prescription that I was in dire need of. They had remodeled since the last time I was there. The remodel is really nice and there were more people working than the last time I was there too. All of the employees were really nice and fast. If I lived closer to this pharmacy I would use it all the time. I just happened to know they were open late at night and my prescription was called in late.
Also while waiting for my number to come up at the pharmacy I was sitting near the make up area and the woman working in that department was so helpful to people who were asking questions. She had answers to every ones questions and when one woman complained about the price of something she recommended she gave her a free sample and said, «Try it out and then you can decide if the price is to much.» I could tell the woman was shocked. Service like that really makes Wal Mart look like a bag of crap. (See my previous Wal Mart review)
Great pharmacy and apparently really good customer service.

This Longs Drugs has a 24 hour pharmacy. You can get your medication any time of day or night.
The store is very neat and clean.

The only reason I go to this pharmacy close to my office rather than the pharmacy close to home in the city is because of its parking. Sweet, glorious, ample parking.
There’s the typical wait at the pharmacy, but whatev. Friendly staff, typical drug store stuff… a little more than what you’d pay at a Target or someplace else, but it’s a one-​stop shop.

I liked the old Longs a bit better before the re-​vamp. Seemed more cosy, easier to find things. Now they’ve gone Safeway on us, huge shelves that last the entire length of the store. I don’t really shop here for perishables, more soda, jerkey, mints and party supplies. Ya know, midtnight, driving around stop at Longs stuff.
The cashier’s here are okay, there was one that always put up with what he heard at 2am from my friends about me. Bad friends.
Anyways, I gave it a 4 cause there’s no second door now, and the «special» prices on some of their merch aren’t all that special.