• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley Square CVS turns out the lights

November 28, 2021 by Bob Brown 5 Comments

While it’s hard to get as sentimental about a CVS outlet closing as for a one-of-a-kind shop, the shutdown Saturday night of the CVS at 65 Central St., in Wellesley Square stings on multiple levels—employees’ lives disrupted, inconvenience for college students and others who rely on the store for prescriptions and more, and the emptying of yet another storefront.

CVS confirmed last month that the store would be closing the day after Black Friday. This preceded an announcement by CVS corporate that it would be ditching 900 of its 9,900 stores next year, though plans to reformat some stores.

All of this news had me reminiscing about my wide-eyed review of the Rte. 9 CVS opening in 2014 (See “Opening day at Wellesley’s amazing new family-friendly wonderland”)

wellesley square cvs

Hopefully employees at the Central Street CVS will get to relocate to one of the several other CVSes in Wellesley or nearby. Prescriptions by default head to the newer and roomier CVS down the road at 25 Washington St., though you can call and get them delivered through any other CVS. Locally-owned Andrews Pharmacy is among those that would be happy to pick up your business, too.

wellesley square cvs

I swung by the store on Saturday afternoon, on Small Business Saturday, to pay my last respects to a shop that’s been there since at least the early 1980’s.

My mission beyond that was to pick up a card for new parents of a baby boy in our neighborhood. Alas, I was greeted by this scene in the greeting card aisle. I was actually looking for a blank card, but this was a lot more blank than I had in mind.

wellesley square cvs

I considered making a another purchase, for old time’s sake, and was glad to see CVS was keeping up with Wellesley style by offering “luxury” items like this bathrobe priced at $19.99. A true bargain vs. so many of the other luxury offerings in town.

wellesley square cvs

I took a peek at the Christmas goods, but those of course only get bought the day after Christmas,  and this CVS won’t be around to sell anything then.

I didn’t even have the heart to push the buttons on all the musical Christmas decorations to turn them into a cacophonous farewell to the store. I figured employees were already having a tough enough day.

wellesley square cvs

wellesley square cvs

I was a bit surprised not to find any loud “Sale” or “Everything Must Go!” signs, but I suppose everyone must just go to a neighboring CVS.

As I swung by the pharmacy, an employee behind the plexiglass and a patron grimly bantered about people who come by Sunday or later “being in for a rude awakening” when they find the store shuttered.

wellesley square cvs

Let’s just hope whatever fills the space—or spaces, if the property manager goes that route—is something people can get excited about. The recent coffee shop drought in the square has added to the exit of convenience retailers that bring people to other businesses in the Square. Word that a couple of new restaurants are on the way (Laughing Monk and Lockheart), on the other side of the street, offers reason for optimism.

As for my mission to pick up a card to congratulate our neighbors on their new arrival, at least there are still plenty of options in the Square for that.

wellesley square cvs

 


print

Share

Filed Under: Business

Comments

  1. Michael Cape says

    November 28, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    This closure wasn’t about economics but business. Of the 900 proposed closures more than half are sidewalk stores with no parking. Today the retail pharmacy footprint in the suburbs asks for a retail location of at least 3000 to 5000 sf as a stand alone building with a separate parking lot inclusive of handicapped parking. The 3 other CVS locations in Wellesley at Linden St, 25 Washington and Route 9 fit the bill.

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    November 28, 2021 at 10:20 pm

    CVS business model is to flood the market to push out competitors then they close up shops where they saturated the market. No tears for CVS only for the mom and pop stores they destroy.

    Reply
  3. Ken Hoey says

    November 28, 2021 at 10:46 pm

    I work for CVS …stores that have parking lots close also….with Handicap parking.

    Reply
  4. Will says

    November 29, 2021 at 4:53 am

    Let me guess what’s coming… another bank?

    Reply
  5. Fries with that. To go. says

    November 30, 2021 at 11:15 am

    I think a Woolworth’s reboot with a lunch counter and a pet department.

    But disguised as a Dollar General.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Cheesy Street Grill
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Congrats to all those sweaty, determined Pan-Mass Challenge riders
  • An hour in a Wellesley garden—a visit to Little Red
  • Upcoming political debates & forums
  • Wellesley readies for Pan-Mass Challenge 2022
  • Wellesley Mothers Forum kicks off new membership year

Upcoming Events

Aug 11
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors, Open Lunch

Aug 11
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Style in the Golden Years

Aug 12
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

Aug 12
1:00 pm

Bach to Rock free instrument petting zoo

Aug 15
1:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors, Open Lunch

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Ellen S on The Underrated Cure: Gardening’s Effect on Mental Health
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Mary Ann on First taste: Wellesley Square’s new Lockheart Restaurant
  • Michael Maggard WHS '85 on In remembrance: Martha ‘Martie” Cherry Fiske, award-winning Wellesley teacher who fought for job rights
  • Katherine Fellows on Wellesley outdoor watering restrictions to come with a bit of ‘enforcement’

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (418)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (580)
  • Beyond Wellesley (49)
  • Books (368)
  • Business (1,513)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (49)
  • Churches (81)
  • Clubs (229)
  • Construction (296)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,123)
    • Babson College (251)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (43)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (609)
    • Wellesley High School (969)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (70)
  • Entertainment (792)
  • Environment (754)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (164)
  • Food (347)
  • Fundraising (615)
  • Gardens (160)
  • Government (564)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (853)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (4)
  • History (389)
  • Holidays (406)
  • Houses (156)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (854)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (63)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (571)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (76)
  • Outdoors (643)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (333)
  • Religion (132)
  • Restaurants (335)
  • Safety (151)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (123)
  • Shopping (148)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (986)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (395)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (232)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,231)
  • Volunteering (347)
  • Weather (178)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login