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Health & Fitness

RiteAid and Ardmore – Who Needs Who?

Ardmore doesn't need to bend over backwards for RiteAid.

Let me begin by admitting that I am not an expert in zoning and planning. 

With that out of the way, let me also state that RiteAid can take its plans for their new Ardmore store and stick them where the sun don’t shine.

Really.  Do we need their fancy new RiteAid badly enough to throw Ardmore’s entire new zoning plan out the window, and give them a variance on dozens of requirements? 

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Who among us in such dire need for cough drops and band aids that we have to add any more challenges to the intersection of Ardmore Ave and Lancaster Ave?  I can name a dozen places in Lower Merion where you can currently get your prescriptions filled and buy a bottle of calamine lotion.  Why does RiteAid expect us to bend over backwards (or frontwards) for them?

Maybe RiteAid would point out that they, like the other national drugstore chains, offer much more shampoo and cough medicine.  Today’s CVS, RiteAid, and Walgreens are more like supermarkets, or mini-Walmarts than traditional pharmacies, selling snacks , toys, and even lawn furniture.  That just makes matters worse.  Our local favorites, like Mapes and Ricklins, are suffering enough in this economy.  The local supermarkets aren’t immune either, with Superfresh closing stores, and Acme shedding employees.  There just doesn’t seem to be enough business to go around at the moment.  Does Ardmore really have any need for a big new drugstore to add to the competition?

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Even assuming that we don’t need it, I’m sure we’d still like it.  People would shop there and enjoy it, and find it convenient.  That’s always the way.  A year after the Target moves in, you can hardly remember what you did without it.  But since we don’t actually need it, there’s not really any hurry.   Let’s make them build it on our terms.

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