If nothing else, Downtown Phoenix is consistent.
CVS is one of the more forgotten franchises. But to their credit, the ones in Downtown Phoenix are pretty conveniently located & for the most part, easily accessible via the Valley Metro rail system.
This location in particular is directly across the street from the Maricopa Court Houses, the sheriff's station, a few blocks from Phoenix Police Department Headquarters, as well as the Phoenix federal building. One would think that, being in such close proximity to Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, & The Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, as well as having Homeland Security guards at the entrance of its storefront, the staff would behave differently than other businesses in the area.
They don't.
Exhausted from all of the negative experiences I've had in Arizona, I began frequenting this location primarily due to the aforementioned reasons. The thought process is that this location is pretty much directly in the middle of a hive of law enforcement; surely they would have to know no one is stupid enough to try anything here, right? One of the main stereotypes concerning African Americans is that we're of low intelligence & that "all of them steal."
Those perceived notions were on clear display when I visited this location on November 24, 2023.
I dug through some of the old receipts I had been holding onto & noticed that I had a coupon that would equate to a 90% discount on food items. I figured why not & went to grab the items advertised. Within 30 seconds of entering the store, the PA system advised the customer service representatives to scan all the aisles. Hmm, maybe it wasn't me... I paid for my items and continued my day.
Realizing I had more receipts, I scanned the rest of the ones I had & saw I had one that expired that same day. Heading back to the store a few hours later, I told myself I would see if the "scan all aisles" advice was a mistake. Sure enough, upon entry, the PA system again said, "Scan all aisles." The second visit was even taken a step further when the CVS staff member blocked access to my belongings until it was confirmed that I had completed the transaction.
"Black" Friday indeed.
This experience is nothing new in the Phoenix metropolitan area & is on par with how Arizonians approach scenarios with POC in the workplace. To them, if you're black, you're going to lie, steal, or "You're up to something."
If you're looking to visit this location during your MLB or NBA fan experience, I strongly suggest against it.
Overall, this place is not the best place to go if you're of African descent.
As you can see from my other reviews, I have not had the most pleasant experiences lately. However! At great personal risk to myself, I write these reviews based on my experiences so that others will benefit from the experiences that I have. I encourage others to SPEAK UP! Your voice can assist others in avoiding potentially detrimental situations, & as always, do your own research! read more