Fancy fragrances from CVS Pharmacy

[FLYcrash]

Hi all! First post here 😊

I live in Rhode Island, USA, and have noticed that CVS Pharmacy has been stocking startlingly fancy fragrances at good prices. Here's a picture I snapped:



I don't have too much of a mental price list for fine fragrances but immediately noticed that 50 mL of Creed Aventus was newly on offer for about 30% less than list/department store prices. The selection is obviously thin - just a couple locked cases at the corner of the store. So I haven't yet run into anything I truly wanted. But now I swing by the fragrance case every time I visit a CVS, just in case something from their sprinkling of Tom Ford, Givenchy, Mugler, etc., actually connects with something on my wish list or the wish lists of loved ones.

I wonder if you've seen something similar at local drugstores. Happy Thursday!

 

[hednic]

That's interesting! Wouldn't have imagined that.

 

[FLYcrash]

I know, right?!

I just noticed that my picture told me to "explore our expanded selection of designer scents at CVS.com" and did so. I verified that, no, their website isn't some cheap but reputable comprehensive source of high-end fragrances. The fancy stuff online is "out of stock," "in stores only," or not listed at all.

This looks to be a bricks-and-mortar drugstore Pokémon situation. It would be truly peculiar if CVS decided across the whole giant chain to stock Creed Silver Mountain Water or Tom Ford Oud Wood (two examples at my usual location; the Oud Wood was out of frame).

When I get a chance, I'll try and see how the stocking patterns line up among bricks-and-mortar CVS locations.

 

[Zenwannabee]

I love CVS. My last fancy fragrance purchase there…🙂

 

[StylinLA]

I wonder to what degree it varies by store location and local management.

There are two CVS stores I frequent and their fragrance selection is very dated and meager.

I've also noticed Pinaud has vanished from both CVS and Walgreens in my area.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

None of the drug store chains here have anything close to that level of scent because people will just smash and grab them. Even the toilet paper is locked up.

 

[Salumbre]

Welcome to Basenotes, @FLYcrash! Great finds, indeed.

 

[IsoESuperman]

@FLYcrash you must be up near Providence maybe? In the south county CVSs I end up in it’s all Cool Water and White Diamonds as far as the eye can see.

I did score a mid-90’s Fahrenheit at the URI CVS in 2013 or so, but I’ve sure never seen Creed or TF.

Nice to see another RIer! If you drive slow in the left lane of 95 I’ll tailgate you 🙋‍♂️

 

[ScentBeagle]

Hi all! First post here 😊

I live in Rhode Island, USA, and have noticed that CVS Pharmacy has been stocking startlingly fancy fragrances at good prices. Here's a picture I snapped:

View attachment 451584

I don't have too much of a mental price list for fine fragrances but immediately noticed that 50 mL of Creed Aventus was newly on offer for about 30% less than list/department store prices. The selection is obviously thin - just a couple locked cases at the corner of the store. So I haven't yet run into anything I truly wanted. But now I swing by the fragrance case every time I visit a CVS, just in case something from their sprinkling of Tom Ford, Givenchy, Mugler, etc., actually connects with something on my wish list or the wish lists of loved ones.

I wonder if you've seen something similar at local drugstores. Happy Thursday!

Wow..some good deals... almost all the CVS's and Rite-Aid's in Manhattan,NYC have closed because of increasing rents and out of control stealing. However, when they were open, I never saw a collection as good as the one near you.

P.S. Welcome to Basenotes!!!

 

[FLYcrash]

@IsoESuperman Haha yay another RIer! Yeah this one is in Pawtucket (425 East Ave; if you want to run on their frags, maybe it will encourage them in this habit). This CVS had been a little fancy for some time (I'd eyeballed their never-moving bottles of Givenchy Gentleman and Mugler Angel ever since getting interested in fragrances) but I went yesterday and there was a cart by the perfume case. They clearly had just stocked things up to the pictured level.

CVS being based in Woonsocket RI, I sort of wonder if they're doing some kind of corporate experiment and that's why this is happening in northern RI. Would be easy to operationalize the experiment just a 20-minute drive from headquarters.

@Varanis Ridari Depressing about the toilet paper. What's kinda wild is that my neighborhood is definitely not considered great, and this is just a block from a public high school that people work hard to avoid sending their kids to.

 

[StylinLA]

None of the drug store chains here have anything close to that level of scent because people will just smash and grab them. Even the toilet paper is locked up.

Indeed - but no grab in my stores. They are behind the counter (and have been long before the grab it and run trend.)

 

[Zenwannabee]

I've also noticed Pinaud has vanished from both CVS and Walgreens in my area.

Such a sad state of affairs. Almost as bad as Varanis saying they’ve had to lock the toilet paper up… 🫤

 

[FLYcrash]

Checked another CVS a little down the road today. No Creed or Tom Ford, but there was a 50 mL bottle of Guerlain Samsara for $68. May the CVS frag Pokémon continue 😊

 

[Ken_Russell]

Thank you for sharing and congratulations for your find.
While having no CVS yet near the place do currently live in, some local drugstores do have some bargain priced, often mass market brand fragrances available-but nowhere near the ones in the thread starting image.

 

[sjg3839]

Nice prices.

 

[FLYcrash]

I got to do a little out-of-state recon! I was in Austin, TX, for a conference last week. I spotted a bottle of Tom Ford Black Orchid for $104.99 at the CVS at 24th and Guadalupe across the street from UT-Austin. So this opportunity for nice frag hunting at CVS doesn't seem to be exclusively a Providence-area thing.