Would you miss Walgreens?

Continuing my “Would you Miss” series ...

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Does Walgreens provide such a unique product and customer experience that we would be saddened if it didn’t exist? Does Walgreens treat its employees so astonishingly well that those workers would not be able to find another employer to treat them as well? Does Walgreens forge such unfailing emotional connections with its customers that they would fail to find another retailer that could forge just as strong an emotional bond?

What say you?

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Comments

[Boring Market]

Walgreens is not a purple cow. They don't do something that is so different that they make it better, they don't innovate the playing field. They are a brown cow, they serve a purpose and nothing more. They are not a lifestyle brand, they are just a brand that we use with our lifestyle.

[Dan Schawbel]

What's Walgreens?

JK - Well I think it depends where you live actually. If there is only Walgreen where you live and no CVS, then yes I would miss it.

[linkerjpatrick]

I think they put more thought into the style of their buildings and that adds to the quality of life in the communities where they are located. All the CVS stores which are their local competitors all look rather boring. If a Walgreen's and a CVS were wanting to build on a spot in my neighborhood and I had a say so and they only difference was how the building looked I would chose Walgreen's. That being said we have shopped at CVS more because they are closer and we have a pharmacy account/CVS card.

[The Masked Millionaire]

Truth be told I would not miss any store that all of a sudden vanished. Walgreen's is no exception.

In today's world there are 100 business' to take the place of every business that goes away.

Loyalty to a business no longer exists. Loyalty for the most part is reserved for "price".

People will argue that customer service, quality, and all sorts of other "used to be" relevant things matter. But they don't. If they did we would not have Wal-Mart.

The Masked Millionaire
www.TheMaskedMillionaire

[Stephen Macklin]

We had a Walgreen's. Then they changed it to a Rite-Aide. It didn't make much difference.

[Spacemonkey]

I'd have to completely disagree with the Masked Millionaire (sorry Mask, I hate to disagree with incognito rich people).

We use a small family pharmacy because they order what we want, help us when we are in a bind, and generally care.

I'm sure there are some kind and generally helpful folks working at the pharmacy at all the major-but-generic chains, but the bottom line is that the small family run business gives us a lot more service, and dare I say, more unique customer experience. Maybe make that "more personalized experience".

For me, there's a Duane Reade, CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid all within walking distance. If every one of them disappeared tomorrow, I'd just need to find toilet paper and razors somewhere else. Not much else would matter.

However if our little family pharmacy disappeared tomorrow, we'd be in a deep pile of fecal matter, as I got no idea where I'm going to find my picky-whiny-wimpy-face-but-wiry-beard shaving cream, first aid ointment for the kids (homeopathic AND organic, boo-yah!) and all those other eccentric comforts that I've grown accustomed to finding in one place. Walgreens ain't on my short list of places to search for a replacement either, as I'm comfortably certain about 80% of my list won't be available at the nearest mega-chain.

[James Lamb]

No, not really. They are pretty interchangeable with Rite-Aid. There's one near us. I'd rather see a Starbucks on that corner. Or a small grocery store.

[Brian Oates]

I wondered the same thing. Then in talking to some older folks, they like the smaller size. Target/Walmart are too big. Yes, they may pay a few extra dollars, but the convenience is worth it to them. (Yet again showing it's not always about price)

[Jennifer Yorke]

Shoppers Drugmart is a Canadian chain that has really made incredible efforts to prop up their brand and create a consumer experience. Having recently moved from Toronto to the States, I really miss the knowledge of Shoppers' employees, product selection and the cleanliness of the stores. Generally, products are a few cents more, but its worth it to not feel like you're shopping in a dirt hole.

[Kelly K.]

Unfortunately, CVS and Walgreens are the only two options in the city where I live, so I go to whichever is closest to my house. Right now I do believe that's a Walgreens. I purposely never go in those terrible places in favor of the drive through and I don't buy anything other the the necessary prescriptions. I sincerely miss the days of hometown pharmacies and personal service. If Walgreens went away tomorrow, I suppose I would make the painful trek across the street to CVS.

[Paul Chaney]

We don't live in a perfect world you know... :-)

Seriously, yea, I think I would miss it (for a while), though I'd probably just as easily transition to CVS or Rite-Aid.

Considering the tenor of the comments here, I hope someone at Walgreen's is paying attention. Perhaps they should consider an online community. Sounds like they need to energize their base of customer evangelists.

[Tracey]

IMO, there seems to be some inconsistency with Walgreen's stores (and therefore, the brand as a whole). I've gone to some that are pleasantly organized and clean, and the staff friendly. Some are as bad as CVS (which I hate) - stuff all over the place, clueless staff, etc. Usually, I'd rather go to Target -- they sell the same stuff, but it's consistently easy to find and I know what to expect. If my neighborhood Walgreens was one of the good ones, yeah, I'd miss it.

[Joel D Canfield]

I would not; never go there. My adult daughter will go out of her way to buy makeup and toiletries at Walgreens; when we moved from SoCal to NorCal, first thing she did was look them up. And it is quite a bit about the people.

So I guess we're 1 and 1 in our household.

[Jon]

Can't say that I would mind. For the most part, we don't even call Walgreens by name. I say something to the effect of "Can we run to the drug store?"

Regardless if the building is a CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, or something else, it makes no difference on my purchasing choices. All the stores offer near identical experiences. Their efforts to create loyalty with frequent shopper cards is antiquated.

[Fern R]

I've used a small, independent pharmacy before, and quite frankly, they were awful. They often didn't have the prescribed drugs I needed in stock and I had to wait a day or two while they ordered them. Also, they had limited hours of operation. Walgreen's, on the other hand, is open 24 hours, has a drive through, and has yet to tell me that they don't have my prescription in stock.

[Persia]

I would, mostly because in my community they're the only pharmacy with decent hours and an actual pharmacist on hand 24/7, which means I can show up at my convenience. All our mom and pop pharmacies sold out years ago, so it's really a battle of the chains.

[Elizabeth M]

Boring Market is right, Walgreen's isn't a purple cow. Still, I would miss my Walgreen's very much -- it is all about convenience.
Walgreen's is my favorite place to run in to purchase all kinds of items. It has a very convenient location and is well-organized (much better than the Rite Aid across the street or CVS.) I love being able to park right at the door and not having to walk a mile to get milk then another mile to pick up poster board for the forgotten school project.
It is so much more managable than Wal-Mart or Publix.
The weakness of my neighborhood Walgreen's -- the pharmacy staff has no customer service skills. We stick with Rite Aid for prescriptions - they are friendlier and much more helpful.
Our family makes a choice to use Walgreen's but truthfully, if it went away I'd learn to live with Rite Aid - but I won't like it as much.
(For years my younger daughter declared Walgreen's her favorite store. She was convienced you could buy everything there. Alas, she has graduated to the mall and more upscale stores!)

[KD]

Unlike CVS, Walgreens allows customers access to their prescriptions from any Walgreens location across the country, 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. As someone who both moves and travels often, I find this service invaluable, and it is important to me to have a Walgreens nearby. Other than that key differentiator, all pharmacies -- CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Sav-on -- are the same. In fact, they even all use the same color scheme in their branding (red or red/blue). Sad category.

[Steven Hoober]

I actually worked at a drugstore in high school. There used to be a difference, but now I seriously cannot tell one from another without looking (carefully) at the branding. At least in this area, every drug store looks the same. And all have mediocre to terrible service, even from the pharmacy.

My favorite is the "Open 24-hours" neon, which means to every store within 20 miles (but one) the /store/ is open, but not the pharmacy. Misleading?

[Nikki]

Honestly, no. In fact, I only got to Walgreen's once every 3 months, or if I need a prescription.. and then only because I have an account there and don't want to bother with moving accounts again. I honestly don't know why I just don't move my account to my local grocery store, which provides the same service, only I don't have to sit and wait for 15+ minutes... I could just do my shopping.

[Brian Meehan]

Every time I enter a Walgreens, I feel like I’m entering a clinical setting like a hospital. The store has no life…no vibe. The shelves are crammed with products that are merchandised poorly. And in many cases, the employees are disengaged and cold. So why do I shop there? Convenience. Despite the negative vibe of the store, I find myself there often picking up various items on the go. It just goes to show that not every brand has to appeal to your deepest emotions and senses. Sometimes, fast and easy sells. What’s the secret at Walgreen’s….we’re on every corner and we’re open all night. As soon as CVS or another pharmacy catches up, I'll have no reason to shop there. There's no connection.

[starpower]

Your question is well-timed.

In a recent newspaper article, it was said that, eventhough price reductions are generating sales for Walgreens, they are cutting into profit margins for Walgreens and its competitors.

Apparently, Walgreens is not attracting paying customers based on any fundamental differences that may exist between it and comparable stores. Buyers are coming and going based on prices.

The customer experience at Walgreens evidently does not transcend price.

[Stephanie]

Reasons to love Walgreens:
-drive-through prescriptions
-a store on every corner in America means I can refill my scrips at home, on vacation, or halfway in between

Don't give me "they're just like CVS" - there aren't any CVSs here, and Rite Aid only has one store on the far side of town compared to Walgreens' five convenient locations around town. Yes, my locally-owned pharmacy gives better service... that is, as long as I remember to pick up my scrips before five, and God forbid I need something on Sunday.

For all it's many flaws (including, but not limited to, higher prices, lower quality, and crappy service), I'd miss what Walgreens has to offer in convenience because they are still the only ones offering it in my neck of the woods.

[Steve]

I have a CVS and Walgreens less than a quarter mile from each other, and I much prefer the Walgreens for the snack selection over CVS. Yes it is a drug store, but that's what drives me there.

Walgreens > CVS