*CVS now operates thousands of pharmacies and clinics, but its familiar three-letter name came from a much smaller retail business.
The initials originally represented Consumer Value Store, according to Roslyn Guarino, senior manager of corporate communications at CVS Health, HuffPost reports.
“CVS originally stood for ‘Consumer Value Store,’ reflecting our company’s founding focus on accessible, affordable health and beauty products,” Guarino said.
Brothers Stanley and Sidney Goldstein launched the business with Ralph Hoagland in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1963. The company adopted the shorter CVS name the following year.
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By the end of 1964, the chain had 17 stores and used a shield-shaped logo featuring the initials CVS. Its original locations focused on health and beauty merchandise rather than prescription services. That changed in 1967, when the company began opening stores with pharmacies. CVS reached 100 locations by 1970 and continued expanding into a major national chain.
The company now has more than 9,000 retail pharmacy locations and over 1,000 walk-in and primary care clinics. Its corporate name changed again in 2014 as the business moved deeper into healthcare services.
“As our company has grown, the meaning of CVS has evolved beyond its retail roots,” Guarino said. “In 2014, we officially changed our name to CVS Health to reflect a broader transformation from a traditional retail pharmacy chain into a comprehensive health care company.”
The company also introduced a heart symbol as part of that shift.
“Our brand and logo have also evolved to reflect this transformation, including the introduction of the heart symbol to represent care and connection,” Guarino said.
Former CEO Thomas Ryan offered another interpretation, saying he viewed CVS as “Customer, Value and Service.”
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