Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of Walgreens and CVS stores popping up on the Las Vegas Strip lately? It is a popular question on my tours and here on The Vegas Tourist. So why is that happening and just how many are there??
The first question is answered by the pure economic greed of the hotels. The Wynn can charge you over $8 for a bottle of recycled city water with a fancy label.
The Riviera tried to get $3 out of us for water when we stayed there. Today, you can stay at the Cosmopolitan, walk across the pedestrian bridge and walk right into a Walgreens, pick up a styrophome cooler, a case of water, a case of beer and some snacks and probably just barely break a $20 bill. Do that in the hotel and you may need an extended line of credit because of what they would charge you for it all.
The second question is an interesting one because that’s what a lot of the new construction on the Strip is. Boring old retail consumerism. What you get in your local strip mall, you can now get while strolling the famous boulevard of Sin.
Most of the new construction on the Strip is not new casinos, it’s not a new restaurant. The new construction is your shopping mall regulars: Ross, CVS, Walgreens, Vegas tickets, etc…
So starting at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, we drive the length of the strip to see how many and who rules the roost; Walgreens or CVS?
Next to the MGM you have one Walgreens
Next to Monte Carlo you have one CVS
The corner of Harmon and the Strip you have a two-story Walgreens
In the Grand Bazaar Shops at Ballys, you have a CVS “coming soon”
Tourist Tip: In the two-story Walgreens, the top floor is mostly beverages and snacks. Easy in and easy out.
Next to Casino Royale and the new White Castle, you have a Walgreens
In the Palazzo Shops, outside, you have a Walgreens
In what used to be the moat for the Treasure Island Pirate Show, you have a CVS
On Convention Center drive and the Strip, you have a Walgreens (and a Ross)
Across from the big blue silo and next to Sky Condominiums, you have a CVS
At the corner of Sahara Avenue and the Strip, you have a Walgreens
Without using common core math, I come up with:
Walgreens – 6
CVS – 3.5
If you figure the “Strip” is four miles long, that makes it to one per half mile, or almost one every block!