The new CVS pharmacy on Route 67, complete with drive-through pharmacy service, is open.
The new store had been in the final stages of completion for weeks and opened quietly Sunday with no fanfare.
CVS had previously been in the Klarides Village shopping center.
The new CVS will compete with the new Walgreens, also on Route 67, which was the first in town to offer drive-through pharmacy service.
“Oh yeah, I’m glad this is open now,” said Walter Orfiss of Seymour, Monday morning. He said he has been going to the Seymour CVS for years.
The old Klarides Village store was smaller and lacked drive-through service. The new store offers a wider range of merchandise, including an expanded vitamin section that now includes herbal vitamins.
The store opened just in time for Valentine’s Day business. There was a lot of chocolate and a variety of cards available for that holiday.
“The store is about twice as big,” said Denise Gonzales-Rivera, the store manager.
She said the store continues to employ about 12 full- and part-time workers, including managers.
CVS/pharmacy is the second largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., after Walgreens, with roughly 7,025 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico. It was founded in Lowell, Mass., in 1963 and is based in Woonsocket, R.I.
The next step is for the previous location to be filled at Klarides Village. The former Walgreens, on Bank Street near Town Hall, is also vacant.
