Walgreens

MikeRa · August 16, 2014, 01:02:55 PM

Out here in the Philadelphia area, w have a "Flagship" Walgreens, at South Broad and Chestnut Street. This location used to be a Borders Books, and before that, a Philadelphia National/CoreStates/First Union/Wachovia Bank, and before that, the John Wanamaker Mens Store

MikeRa · August 16, 2014, 01:06:34 PM

Quote from: retailisking on March 06, 2012, 04:46:17 AM
Downtown Boston is getting an emporium-style Walgreens similar to their big stores in Chicago and New York (the latter of course sporting the Duane Reade banner)
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/02/28/walgreens-plans-large-downtown-emporium/3fBF6qmKTG3knzD90u1HIJ/picture.html

Philadelphia also has one of these "Flagship Stores", being Store #15336, at 1 South Broad Street (South Broad and Chestnut Streets)

Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill) · August 17, 2014, 10:18:08 PM

Quote from: Zayre88 on April 25, 2012, 05:15:21 PM
Quote from: Marc B on April 25, 2012, 10:37:03 AM
I was just wondering what everyone thinks of Walgreen's new in-house brand "NICE". To me it's as cheesy of a name as Target's "Up & Up" brand and Target's "Pfresh" concept name.

Nice, Up&Up and Hannaford's MyEssentials are all cheesy.

Festival Foods at least has something in common with Hannaford, they both share the MyEssentials in-house brand. I would also compare "Nice!" to Shopko's in-house brands, Supreme Choice and Hometown Value.

I like the in-house brand for Walgreens, it sounds "Nice!", pun intended.

MikeRa · August 18, 2014, 01:57:20 PM

Quote from: ShopKoFan on August 17, 2014, 10:18:08 PM
Quote from: Zayre88 on April 25, 2012, 05:15:21 PM
Quote from: Marc B on April 25, 2012, 10:37:03 AM
I was just wondering what everyone thinks of Walgreen's new in-house brand "NICE". To me it's as cheesy of a name as Target's "Up & Up" brand and Target's "Pfresh" concept name.

Nice, Up&Up and Hannaford's MyEssentials are all cheesy.
Festival Foods at least has something in common with Hannaford, they both share the MyEssentials in-house brand. I would also compare "Nice!" to Shopko's in-house brands, Supreme Choice and Hometown Value.

I like the in-house brand for Walgreens, it sounds "Nice!", pun intended.

Walgreens other in house food brand is "Good & Delish', which started as dR Delish by Duane Reade prior to being acquired by Walgreens.

I do like the wexford brand for office & school supplies. Wexford replaced Corner Office and Penway brands

Ameskid · February 18, 2015, 02:26:46 AM

Vintage (early '70s?) photo of an unknown Walgreens somewhere in Northern Kentucky. Picture courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library.

Retail_247 · February 13, 2023, 09:31:33 PM

Check out this extremely tiny Walgreens in Greene, NY:

https://retail247.blogspot.com/2023/02/vintage-drug-store-building-currently.html

It's in a former Rite Aid / Eckerd, which probably originally started out as a locally owned place

Retail Regents · February 14, 2023, 03:04:15 AM

I actually visited that store during the transition and after it was completed (as a pharmacy-only Walgreens).

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Retail Regents · February 14, 2023, 03:07:29 AM

Another honorable mention goes to the North Creek store across from Tops. I assume this too was an independent that became an Eckerd and later Rite Aid. I did not enter this store as I took this photo half an hour before the store opened and left for a store in Speculator immediately after.

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Retail_247 · February 14, 2023, 06:01:30 AM

Quote from: Retail Regents on February 14, 2023, 03:04:15 AMI actually visited that store during the transition and after it was completed (as a pharmacy-only Walgreens).

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Cool photos, that store looked really cramped during the Walgreens transition, but I can't say that I'm suprised due to obviously how small the building is and what they had to work with

TheFugitive · February 14, 2023, 01:29:05 PM

Interesting building. CVS had a store like that in my old neighborhood in Pittsburgh until eventually they moved out to a new one built to spec.

BillyGr · February 14, 2023, 07:14:31 PM

Yes, Eckerd (in particular) did buy out locally owned stores over time.
There was one in Rensselaer, NY - they eventually moved to what had been a Rite Aid that had closed up the street, before building a new building out on the main road (that, of course became Rite Aid and now Walgreens).
One in Wynantskill NY that stayed as an Eckerd for a time but closed before the sale to Rite Aid.
Also, one in Saugerties NY right in their main street that also eventually closed (I think there they combined with an existing store on the southern end of town that dates back to Fays days).

Interesting to see that they actually kept some of them, but that may simply be due to the areas that they are in being smaller towns and maybe just not enough demand (or maybe issues getting permission to build a store as well, as often happens in these types of areas).

TheFugitive · February 15, 2023, 10:02:45 AM

When a big chain buys out a local independent drugstore basically all they really want are the patient prescription files. My uncle had a friend who was a pharmacist who had his own small drugstore. Eckerd bought him out for a huge amount of money and immediately closed the store. They got the files which is what they really wanted. Plus there has been on ongoing shortage of pharmacists so in addition they offered him a part-time job at Eckerd paying $70K per year. So he got to semi-retire with a big nest egg at around age 50. What a deal!

My grandfather was a pharmacist and in business he really struggled. He was born a few decades too early it seems.

TheFugitive · June 29, 2023, 11:25:09 AM

Walgreens has announced that they are closing 150 store locations by next August.
They will also be reducing store hours to cut costs.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/walgreens-plans-to-close-150-u-s-locations/ar-AA1dd5zT

They are anticipating a reduction in consumer spending as the economy slows.

A Walgreens near my home recently closed and is in the process of being converted into a Dollar Tree location.

TheFugitive · June 27, 2024, 04:03:39 PM

Walgreens stock plunged by more than 20% today as on their earnings call they gave a warning about shrinking profits in a "challenging customer environment".

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/27/walgreens-wba-earnings-q3-2024.html

Walgreens is expected to announce the closing of a significant number of stores shortly.

TheFugitive · July 02, 2024, 08:52:50 AM

Looks like the plan is for Walgreens to shrink their store count by 25%.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-to-close-up-to-a-quarter-of-its-roughly-8600-us-stores/ar-BB1p0k3g?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Interestingly they are saying that they won't need to do mass layoffs as they expect most employees will accept positions at other Walgreens locations that remain open.

The ongoing labor shortages in the retail industry sure have changed all of the dynamics.