As somebody that discovered the USA not so long ago, this was one of the weirdest parts.
Pharmacies carry a lot of stuff that have nothing to do with health and that includes junk food.
Pharmacies carry a lot of stuff that have nothing to do with health and that includes junk food.
In other words, Walmart is not a pharmacy but Walmart has a pharmacy.
A YouTube channel Loft Pursuits has a video part of which explains soda pop. The video is about the NY Egg Cream but it starts off with the history of carbonated water and soda pop.
In New York city in the early 1800s St. Patrick's cathedral was being constructed. Someone figured out the marble dust from the construction when mixed with acid created a cheap supply of carbon dioxide. Carbonated water was rare and expensive back then so this was a great opportunity. Candy stores in the area made syrups and sold it by mixing it was the carbonated water.
So CVS is primarily a pharmacy, unlike Walmart and Kroger, which are stores that have pharmacies.
And the pharmacy creates a captive market of people that buy other items while they’re there.
There’s a reason pharmacies keep getting bigger even though the dispensing area isn’t.