CVS taps Hispanic market with launch of Y Mas stores in Miami

New York -- CVS/pharmacy is aiming to attract more Hispanic customers with its new "Y Mas" stores in South Florida, and the company hopes to expand its new brand nationally.



Twelve CVS/pharmacy y mas stores in South Florida, including 11 remodeled CVS stores and one brand new store, feature a fully bilingual staff, the addition of more than 1,500 trusted Hispanic products, more competitive pricing on hundreds of products, and new services unique to a national retail pharmacy.



"With more than 7,800 stores across the U.S., we understand that our retail pharmacies should not be one size fits all for the diverse communities we serve," said Helena Foulkes, president of CVS/pharmacy. "CVS/pharmacy y mas stores are designed to be a place where our Hispanic customers feel at home to receive our best-in-class pharmacy service, along with personalized products and services to better meet their diverse needs."



The launch of CVS/pharmacy y mas follows CVS Health's 2014 acquisition of Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the U.S.



"We have leveraged the expertise and experience of Navarro's successful history of serving Hispanic consumers to create CVS/pharmacy y mas," added Foulkes. "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population accounts for over half of the nation's total population growth. We are committed to applying learnings from both Navarro and CVS/pharmacy y mas to other markets with dense Hispanic populations."



Unique features to CVS/pharmacy y mas include:



Bilingual customer service: Fully bilingual associates and signage throughout the store.



New products: More than 1,500 trusted Hispanic products including favorite brands such as Cafe la Llave, Agustin Reyes, Fabuloso, Suavitel, Creolina, and Formula 88, as well as popular Hispanic appliances such as coffee and espresso makers, pressure cookers, rice cookers, and arepa makers.



New Navarro fragrance counter: A fully staffed fragrance counter featuring a large assortment of designer fragrances priced lower than department stores.



Enhanced value: Competitive pricing on hundreds of products and more value sized/family sized products.



New services: A digital service center featuring an authorized dealer and payment center for metroPCS, bill payment services for utilities, phone and cable, and money transfer services to a wide variety of countries. Later this summer, an OTC Health Solutions Counter will provide customers with a dedicated space to pick up over-the-counter products that are covered by their health insurance provider.



Cafecito: "Cafecito" will be served at the pharmacy at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., daily.



"The name 'CVS/pharmacy y mas' signifies the availability of more products and services that are important to the Hispanic consumer and an overall shopping environment that is more tailored to the Hispanic consumer, with warmer and more personal customer service," said Gabriel Navarro, Chief of Hispanic Consumer Growth at CVS/pharmacy.



CVS/pharmacy y mas will also continue to offer CVS/pharmacy's unique clinical offerings and medication adherence programs designed to improve health outcomes and reduce overall health care costs, innovative online and mobile tools to help patients manage their prescriptions whenever and wherever they want, exclusive private label products that come with a 100% money back guarantee, and the CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare Program, the nation's largest rewards program that provides customers money back, special savings and offers that are earned by shopping in-store or online at CVS.com.



CVS/pharmacy has over 7,800 locations in the U.S.