CVS is closing all of its hearing centers—approximately 30 dispensing offices. CVS Spokeswoman Erin Pensa said the company made the decision to close the locations because of the evolution of the hearing healthcare market since 2015, when CVS started offering audiology services.
The news, first reported by Hearing Health & Technology Matters and later picked up by CNBC, was attributed to upcoming changes to the hearing aid market, which include impending FDA regulations that will allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter, eliminating the need for CVS to have in-store audiologists helping fit people for devices, according to the articles. CVS noted, “As such, we are shifting our audiology strategy to better position CVS Pharmacy as a leader in offering clinically effective, lower priced hearing devices once the new over-the-counter category is approved by the FDA. To help prepare for this shift, we are closing the standalone audiology centers in our retail locations, effective March 30, 2019.”
What a crappy company. They are still running ads at Audiology.com for staffing.
Seems to me, that their strategy was to offer high salaries, then lure staff away from Costco to build up their OTC client base.