On Sunday, Walgreens has a new promo on Gillette razors. The Venus and Fusion Proglide are both on sale for $9.99. Buy $20 worth and get 3000 Balance Rewards points – the equivalent of $3.
The problem? The ONLY items included in the deal are $9.99. Walgreens’ Register and Balance Rewards deals do not trigger if you are a few pennies underneath the $20 threshold. But at CVS, their ExtraBucks deals do.
Buying two razors puts you at $19.98 — two cents shy of Walgreens’ $20 threshold. In order to earn the 3000 points, you will have to buy a third razor. Forget throwing in a cheap “filler,” like a can of shaving gel or something else small and low-priced — the razors are the only items included in this deal. So, effectively, this is a “Spend $29.97, get $3” offer, which is no deal.
Would it have killed Walgreens to price these razors at $10 even to make this offer more attractive? As a shopper, I’d much rather go to a store that makes it easier to shop, not more difficult.
palatino says
CVS seems to sell out of stuff sooner BUT you can get a raincheck on an ECB. So you get your Extra Care Bucks whenever the stuff does come in. That also makes it an easier place to shop then going to Walgreens because they won’t raincheck on rewards.
Green Is Good says
I love CVS! I barely shopped at Wags before they rolled out the new points system and I shop there even less now.
In my experience 75% of Walgreens cashiers are unfriendly and it is the total opposite at CVS. I would say I have only run into 2% who are the same at CVS.
FDeRosier says
It almost seems a deceptive practice to advertise “spend $20, get 3000 points” when they make it impossible to spend $20. It would also be interesting to compare how their sales numbers have gone since they started the points program instead of register rewards for many items. I personally have not, and will not, buy any item that is part of the points program no matter how good of a deal it is. But in this example, regardless of whether it is points or register rewards being offered, this is simply wrong. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a consumer advocate group profiling this yet. You’ve brought this same issue up before in other Walgreen’s posts, and I know many of these retailers read your blog. Have they ever responded about this at all?
VJB says
Love CVS. I love that purchases track on your card so if an items is out of stock but the rest of the items are in then no worries get what you can and go back later. I love that ECBs are like cash no filler needed. Love the email coupons and random $4/$20 coupons you get. Love the beauty club program. I have not had an issue with the registers not accepting coupons but Wags is another story. I KNOW what issue I am going to have if I am trying to use a certain coupons or if I am going to try to use 2 MQ on a b1g1 free I know I am in for a battle. It seems CVS is more couponer friendly and know the coupon policy better than Wags employees. My CVS will also take expired ECBs. I used to shop at Wags 2 times a week but since their BR hit I have maybe been there less than 10 times. Now I do most of my shopping at CVS! Its going to take alot of changes for Wags to get me to shop their as frequently as I once did.
rswehrle says
The problem I have with Walgreens BR program is that I have to redeem at least 5000 points to use the BR points I have earned, and that if I do hit the 10000 point mark, or higher, I may not be able to redeem the points for the full dollar amount that the points are supposed to represent. I would rather have a RR instead of points.
kbhmom says
I have to say before BR I used to shop at Wags once a week, and I got to know many of the cashiers as I live in a small town. They would help me with my coupons and were patient. Many of the cashiers have left and I feel the new ones are not as friendly and if the register beeps they won’t even ask a manager if they can take the coupon. It seems that Wags is pushing the consumer more and more to CVS. Now, I may shop there once a month. I usually price match any sale items at Walmart which happens to be next door. CVS accepts my coupons with a smile, no matter how many I have. (The customers behind me may grumble a bit until they see how much I save) LOL ;) Jill, perhaps you should send Walgreens corporate an invitation to read the Walgreens forums on your blog.