WALGREENS

A fresh new vision has come into view at Duane Reade as the Walgreens-owned retailer expanded its fresh food and grocery offerings. In its Union Square store in Manhattan, shown here, consumers are greeted by an expansive food offering that includes an island of such on-the-go meals as oatmeal, sushi, sandwiches and salads; baked goods with a self-service coffee bar; and an array of frozen foods. The concept also prominently features the store-brand DR Delish line of premium snacks and beverages.


Rite Aid recently has put into play a number of forward-looking initiatives to help improve operations, particularly across pharmacy. The Pennsylvania-based retailer last month announced its test market of six new Wellness store prototypes, and after successfully testing a 15-minute prescription guarantee in three states, Rite Aid expanded that guarantee to all states except New York. 


As a specialty pharmacy provider, BioScrip probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when one hears “retail pharmacy,” but its network of 31 community pharmacies around the country gives it a comfy spot at the table. The kinds of products and services it’s able to offer — ranging from home infusion and treatments for complex, chronic disease states to over-the-counter medications and sometimes even consumables — as a result of its combination of community pharmacy and specialty pharmacy make BioScrip stand out.


Walgreens not only is the “Way to Well,” it also is the “Way to Stay Well,” as evidenced by this shelf talker in the dietary supplement aisle that contains a 44-page pamphlet titled “Vitamins & Supplements Q&A: Your A to Z Shopping Guide.”


Inside are reasons to take supplements to both improve health and prevent disease. Specific supplement topics include the best supplements to take to help manage healthy blood-glucose levels, as well as bone and joint, cognitive, heart, immune and prenatal health. 



A new partnership with Gold Standard/Elsevier has solidified Thrifty White Pharmacy’s efforts to bring big-city services to its small-town customer base, which is spread across five states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Montana. 


The Maple Grove, Minn.-based chain of 84 stores recently licensed Alchemy, a new drug database and decision support solution, for all of its pharmacy and telepharmacy dispensing systems. The new partnership will enable the chain to streamline its prescription filling process and provide drug information to pharmacists instantly.


SUPPLIER NEWS — Unilever is looking to help women “go sleeveless” with confidence with the launch of its new Dove Ultimate Go Sleeveless deodorant.


The new collection features a tri-moisturizing system and is designed to provide softer, smoother underarms in five days. The suggested retail price is $3.89 to $4.88.


The Walk with Walgreens fitness program is an example of how a pharmacy retailer can go beyond dispensing to battle chronic disease in America and raise awareness around wellness and prevention.


DEERFIELD, Ill. — As the nation braces for higher gas prices this summer, Walgreens is exploring alternatives that may have longer-term potential and could serve as a differentiator among green consumers. As of April, Walgreens had announced three markets in which it had opened electric charging stations in its store parking lots. 


Unlike gas stations where consumers can simply pump and go, charging stations can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a half hour, which creates more time to capture more purchases.