Took Me by Surprise

This isn't a knock on this particular CVS; I was just surprised to see how many items were under lock and key. It's nearly half of the store.

Over the last month or so, while getting some scripts filled for my parents, I started using the CVS located at 613 New Scotland Avenue in Albany.

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CVS, 613 N Scotland Ave in Albany. Photo: Google Maps
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As far as CVS goes, it's probably one of the older locations in the Capital Region, and it sits on a corner in a nice Albany neighborhood with proximity to St. Peter's Hospital.

Great Staff, Good Store...But

The pharmacy staff is excellent, and the workers are friendly enough. Still, CVS is a convenience store, and there's nothing convenient about ringing for an attendant every 5 seconds because the product you want is behind a partition, locked for safety.

I've always known CVS to keep certain meds and some high-price items locked up, but this CVS in Albany locks up pretty much everything from grocery items to fake nails, and even cat food is behind bars.

Beefing Up on Security

More and more grocery store items are being locked up these days, and sadly, most supermarkets are trying their best to keep items in stock despite the rash of shoplifters ravaging the isles.

According to a recent survey, 72% of supermarket owners said they’ve "beefed up security measures." However, some stores are still targeted multiple times daily, even with security guards stationed inside.

In some instances, store employees are being accosted by shoplifters who aren't necessarily taking these items because they need them; they're stealing the goods and just reselling them for a cheaper price.

CVS knows this is an issue with their customers.

In 2025, they're launching an app that will allow customers access to locked display cabinets "for easier access to merchandise," according to a report in Newsweek. 

Is it The Most Locked-Up CVS in the Area?

On Lock! This CVS in Albany Has Nearly Half of Items Locked Up

Gallery Credit: Brian Cody TSM Albany

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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