Shoppers Drug Mart

This shop has never heard anything about sustainability or zero waste. I wanted to by a product which was out of date (only one day), but not to the full price. They rather throw these products in the bin than offering discounts. Not ecological and not economical at all.

I pay with cash 90% of the time. I quite often deal with a long line for the only cash they ever have open now, or just nobody at the front at all. Put a bell in, or some other sort of notification system, if you aren't going to have someone in view of the cash at all times. I've actually spent an extra 5 to 10 minutes in the store once due to no one being around to take my cash payment. Finally another employee saw me and said something along the lines of, "she should be around here, just wait a minute" as if I hadn't just patiently stood at the cash for atleast 3 minutes before looking around the front aisles for her for a few more.
Also, I feel like I'm burdening some of their staff by not choosing the self-checkout line. As if that choice isn't also to save their jobs.
Other than my issues with their extremely aggressive push on self-checkouts, the staff is mostly great and I find their pharmacists kind and helpful.

Yesterday they had texted me that my prescriptions were filled. Today I went in and not all of them were filled. So I did some shopping because they said it would only take 10 minutes to finish them, but then it took 30 minutes. So after filling my prescriptions I went to the counter to pay for the items I got while I was shopping. There was at least 12 people ahead of me in the line because they are trying to push the self checkouts and only had one person working the checkout. After waiting for 10 minutes and the line not moving I just set my stuff on the counter and left. I refuse to participate in self checkouts because I don't want to see millions of people lose their jobs and I don't want to see the wholesale destruction of the economy when 30% of the population in North America lose their jobs to automation and they cannot purchase anything anymore. What are these geniuses think is going to happen when 30% of the workforce has no job because employers want to get rid of staff to save money? Who do they think is going to buy their stuff? It will be like dominos. The stores that the working poor rely on will go first, adding more to the unemployment line, The owners of these businesses will loose everything, the middle class will be next as they loose good paying jobs at companies that go bankrupt. It's just unending.
I also refuse to do unpaid work for Billionaire corporations.

Great store.don't get me wrong
YET with the new systems now of self checkouts there is a quota of at least 40%.
That is why there is less regular checkouts available.
Its like this anywhere you go.banks, grocery stores, etc.
I don't want to use self checkouts myself as it is putting people out of jobs.
It is all about debit or credit.
We are relying too much on that. AND THE SYSTEM IS NOT PERFECT.

There are many reasons to avoid this store if you can.

The pharmacy is always slow.the person in charge of putting in prescriptions has twice now forgotten to actually put mine into the system resulting in a wait after i came back. The other technician has the personality of a stump and i had to bring additional paperwork to show her my copay was waived as it was "a thing she has never heard of and isnt a thing"

additionally they don't keep a manned cash open at all times anymore. A cash is NOT open if you are first in line and have to tell them to open it and then wait.its "available" and thats not the same thing

This has happened several times. Long lines form and they try to shuffle people to the self checkout. Ok fine but when there are 10 people waiting who have all heard you say the self checkout are open and have declined their use, YOU OPEN ANOTHER CASH.

Its the fact you have to so explicit that you arent interested in a self checkout experience that bothers me most. Ive seen them usher older ladies to the machines while they mumble i'd rather not and i dont think.but they keep insisting the customer do it.
I contacted their customer help line and was told it isnt policy to keep a cash open at all times.apparently the cbc article where this was stated "Going forward, she said, stores should always have a cashier lane open "from open to close, with the light on. " was just a lie.

I'm currently immune compromised from chemo.i dont want to wait in your store longer than i have to, i dont want to use self checkouts that others have touched. IT COULD KILL ME.

I was just left on hold with the pharmacy for half an hour while trying to find out information for the medication they gave me.

The customer service is great here! Their employees are helpful and knowledgeable. Whomever is at the make up counter always greets you with a smile. The store is moderately sized, so their product selection is good. The magazine section is expansive.
They recently added self-serve checkouts, so it's earned that fifth star, in my opinion.

The pharmacy staff are always very knowledgeable and helpful. Many of the other store staff are courteous and go out of their way to be of service too.