CVS announced the opening of a dozen or more pharmacy-only stores in a strategic move to meet community needs and remain competitive against companies like Target, Amazon, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.

CVS Pharmacy has announced plans to open a new kind of store in parts of the U.S. The pharmacy chain said it will open "smaller format" locations in select communities within the next year.

Retail pharmacies are embracing the idea that less is more as they grapple with online competitors, lagging reimbursement, sluggish consumer demand and employee burnout. Driving the news: CVS Health this week confirmed it's rolling out roughly a dozen downsized stores,

CVS is rolling out a new wave of smaller-format pharmacies in select communities nationwide as it tries to adapt to changes in the retail world. CVS plans to open at least a dozen of these compact pharmacies nationwide in 2025,