How many drug stores does a community "need"?

After the Roy Rogers restaurant in La Plata is torn down, a Walgreens will operate across the street from a CVS. National chains have been drawn by the town's growing population and above-average percentage of older residents. "A town of that size doesn't need eight drugstores," a retail analyst said. (By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)

Remember my complaint last year about the DC Economic Partnership's glee in attracting Walgreens, the chain pharmacy company, to DC? I mean, DC already has about 50 CVS stores, and about 8 Rite Aids, and a handful of independents. See the blog entry, "Something is terribly wrong with DC's retail business development priorities."

While it's true that for all intents and purposes, such "pharmacies" function more like a convenience store--except for the fact that they don't sell coffee--there is a limit.

According to the Southern Maryland Extra edition of the Post, La Plata, which has 5 pharmacies now, is slated to get 3 more. See "In Little La Plata, Pharmacies at Every Turn." From the article:

La Plata, population 8,500, has five pharmacies within about two miles and is poised to add three more. At that count, the Charles County seat would boast more pharmacies than drive-through fast-food restaurants and grocery stores -- combined.

There are so many pharmacies in La Plata that the town's planning director, Catherine Flerlage, had trouble listing them all. "There's one in the Wal-Mart, there's one in the Safeway. There's CVS, there's good old County Drug. Of course, Target will have one within their confines. Oh yeah, Rite Aid. And then perhaps the new Walgreens." And she left out the Giant.

All the more reason that every community should have zoning regulations that include provisions with regard to "formula businesses."

To get a better understanding than that possessed by the people quoted in the Post article about why this happens, check out the blog entry from 2005, "Why the future of urban retail isn't chains."

Index Keywords: retail