This reaction to our story about Rite Aid’s bankruptcy:
Sad story about Rite-Aid. Living in a town that has all three (RA, CVS, & Walgreens), I foresee the only thing keeping the Rite-Aid open is the fact that it is in a neighborhood area and likely gets decent local foot traffic. I cannot imagine that’s enough these days though.
CVS recently closed a location and re-opened with a new box on the other side of town. Rite-Aid should have taken note, as CVS did a wonderful job with their re-design. Very pleasant experience and easy store to shop. Definitely a few steps above “mediocrity” in my view. It’s become my “quick stop” on the way home from work.
And, from MNB reader Rich Heiland:
I agree with you that Rite-Aid pales in comparison to CVS and Walgreen. What surprises me about Rite-Aid is that it has survived as long as it has. You may recall that back in 2009-2010 it had a big accounting scandal and some top execs went to jail. In 2018 some execs pleaded guilty to kick-back scheme. And, it has been a target of purchasers over the years. As I recall Walgreen’s might actually have bought a bunch of Rite-Aid stores several years ago.
I always avoided Rite-Aid until we moved to West Chester, PA. We live downtown and there is a Rite-Aid two blocks down the street that we can walk to. We like that. It is not a huge store, generally is a bit under-staffed but the pharmacy staff is capable and nice. It never seems busy and does not have a drive-through. It has had shrinkage problems to the point no carry-in bags or backpacks were being allowed. I always carry a backpack and the first time they told me to give it up I declined. Of course, to stop the kids they had to apply it to everyone but I told them I was not turning over a backpack with my phone, other stuff in it. They let it slide.
I am betting it will be on the closure list because of size, lack of drive-through. I would miss the convenience. I most likely would not drive to the next closest Rite-Aid but probably would shift to CVS. I think a company needs to have a clear-cut vision and goals for coming out of bankruptcy and I am not sure I am seeing that in comments Rite-Aid has made so far. They need to blow themselves up, rebrand and start over. I won’t hold my breath.
Another MNB reader had an observation about a local Rite Aid:
The store in my neighborhood is overpriced and filthy dirty probably have not cleaned the floor in months not a health driven atmosphere at all!
On another subject – “feedforward” vs. “feedback” – MNB reader Doug Madenberg wrote:
As a partner at The Feedback Group, I naturally appreciated today’s FaceTime segment and wanted to make these comments.
As you point out, productive feedback is grounded in good listening by all parties involved. When done right, the concept of performance feedback (or whatever we should call it now) is time-enduring: people need to (and should want to) assess their past/current behavior in order to reach the next step in their development. Employees of all ages embrace that. Among the U.S. supermarket employees we have surveyed in the past two years, those who strongly agreed with this statement – I receive constructive feedback about my job performance – are exponentially more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work (eNPS 58 vs. -2.1).
While it’s true that teens and young adults can be spooked by feedback (especially negative) done badly, I’m not sure the best solution is to whitewash the terminology. Those younger employees are also more likely to see through the veneer of consultant-speak, and I’d be concerned that a “feedforward” process would reek of phoniness from the outset.
I think it is important for businesses to realize that younger employees indeed have sensitive B.S. detectors – they will see through and be alienated by consultant-speak. As is almost all things, transparency is a good thing.
MNB reader Larry Elias chimed in:
Regarding your video segment about “feedforward” replacing “feedback,” you hit the nail on the head. In this day and age will we like to invent new words and terms, how you do it is way more important than what you call it. It’s the culture that counts.
And on another subject, one MNB reader wrote:
Hi, Kevin – a point that may be missing from everyone’s analysis on Prime Day is the counter offers the big box stores quietly made to coincide – which they’ve done before. I had been waiting to get a new 65” Sony flatscreen TV for a month, hoping that the model I wanted might be offered. I had also checked both Best Buy and Costco to see if they would match prices. Best Buy stated right up front that they will match any online price from Amazon. Costco’s site states that they do not match online pricing.
However, that morning both retailers had lowered their prices by $100 for “two days only” to within a dollar of the Prime Day price, and I didn’t have to wait for delivery, plus will get 4% back at year end on my Costco card and membership level, and a 4 year warranty included vs 1.
Surprising that neither retailer wants to broadcast their Prime Day pricing policy in advance.
Agreed.
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