CVS – a major drugstore player on the East Coast that once operated convenience stores in California – has slowly marched west again. The chain's previous strategy was more retail-focused and didn't work well, forcing the company to retreat from the state years ago. Now that it has established itself as a top pharmacy chain, CVS was ready to return to the Southern California market, DeAngelis said. Over the past two years, CVS has added 19 stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Irvine and Buena Park. It also has plans to open a CVS in Fullerton. CVS says it stands out from competitors by offering consumers the one thing they covet the most: time. The chain touts fast delivery of prescriptions in a customer-friendly environment where stores are designed to make shopping easier. "As you enter the store, the low shelves gives you better visibility and it doesn't feel so claustrophobic," said Joseph Bona of CBX Inc., a New York retail-consulting firm.