Round 2. It’s just another windy and cold Friday morning in D.C. as I walk up the steps to the CVS in Dupont Circle. This is a classic, urban-style pharmacy with two stories, narrow aisles, and self-checkout kiosks. The layout of the store is awkward, to say the least.
I’m on my mission in search of salt. As I weave across the aisles and up and down the escalator, the products nearly jump off the shelves. The items in the store are dressed in bright, large labels that scream “buy me!” as they sit under the store’s fluorescent lights.
I begin my search upstairs. I find a small shelf of food sitting awkwardly between the baby products and supplements. Energy bars, chips, chocolate. No salt in this small food display. I guess I will have better luck downstairs!
Just steps from the escalator, my eye is drawn to the back of the store where the cold items live. I walk through this refrigerated section, finding ice cream, frozen dinners, and beverages. I swing a quick left and breathe a sigh of relief when I spot the packaged food aisle. The salt must be close now!
This aisle is chock full of peanut butter, coffee, breads, nuts, pastas, and more. It doesn’t provide as much variety as a full-fledged grocery store, but the options are sufficient enough to make a meal. Oddly enough, this aisle is labeled “Snacks.” These foods don’t seem like snacks to me. Interesting choice, CVS. Interesting choice.
Glancing down the aisle, I see that most of the products come in boxes or bags. Perhaps this is a cheaper form of packaging. Looking more carefully, I find a small section of the aisle that is filled with small cans and jars. Aha! My salt must be here!
The salt sits on the seventh shelf, high above a display of canned soups and vegetables. Because it is on the tallest shelf, I stretch on my toes to snap a proper picture. To my surprise, four options of salt are labeled on the shelf: Himalayan salt, classic sea salt, iodized salt, and a twin pack. The iodized salt is completely sold out. Both the classic sea salt and Himalayan salt come with a built-in grinder, and the price point of these two items is higher than all the other spices on display. Of course, the salt sits next to its trusted friend: black pepper.
The labels on the salt are basic but pleasant to look at. The lettering is clear and bright colors are used. Although the products sit at the front of the shelf, not all the labels are turned forward. It’s a bit disheveled, but the overall look of the display is clean.
People pass through this aisle, picking up Coffee Mate, crackers, and ketchup. But no person has reached for the salt. Perhaps that’s why nearly all the spices and seasonings are marked on sale with yellow stickers reading “Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off.”
Moral of the story: CVS has a pretty good selection of salt if you are ever in a pinch (no pun intended!).
Quote of the Day: “It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him.” – Don Quixote
