Three, I’m not comparing the past to now in any way. I was just pointing out that that CVS distribution in the past was suppose to be a real roll-out, not just a “test.” Everybody was talking about thousands of CVS stores. Everyone was counting how many stores were carrying them as the numbers kept rising. I checked with my local CVS stock manager - she knew nothing about them. But there were prominent displays set up in stores that had them— not just a box on the shelf but a whole separate display. I think we got up to 350 stores or so, with no end seemingly in sight. And then, like so many other “here we go” moments — say, Braun giving out six Actipatch kits per surgery, or Actipatch going into every Boots in the UK — nothing came of it. They just disappeared from the shelves, with no explanation from Biel.
Now, as to now, and KT with a nation wide roll out. One can cherry pick places where there are KT packs in stores — some obscure CVS in Vermont for example. But I’ve been checking several major cities the last couple of years, and the numbers of stores carrying them are dismal. Just some examples:
Chicago area — try zip 60202
Indianapolis area — try zip 46077
Kansas City area — try zip 64030
St. Louis area — try zip 63101
All of these have two or three stores with “in stock”, or “limited,” there are then ten or fifteen or more “out of stock.” This last does NOT mean they had them but are now out of stock. They’ve never had them. I’ve been watching. Numbers have hardly changed for two years.
Hardly any Walmarts, and Targets, and Dick’s, etc. or others carry them yet. I don’t know of any, but occasionally someone mentions one. And heck, if it wasn’t for Hawk and a couple of others we’d hardly know about anything that is going on - and even then we’re left with just a lot of speculation about what it means.
So, after ten plus years here, no one wants a break-out (which sadly now means maybe a penny) more than I do. But I’m no longer holding my breath as to when that will happen.
