Anyone who’s lived in — or even visited — New York City is familiar with Duane Reade Pharmacies, the only business that competes with Starbuck in terms of retail space in the five boroughs. And, as a New Yorker, I know it’s a love-hate relationship with the local chain. But the era of a Duane Reade on every corner in Manhattan may be coming to an end with the announcement this morning that Illinois-based drugstore giant Walgreens is in the process of buying Duane Reade out. [More]
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CVS, Walgreens Drop Tamiflu Prices After AG Sends Nasty Letter
By 12.1.09
Are CVS and Walgreens price gouging on liquid Tamiflu? The attorney general of Connecticut’s office says the AG, Richard Blumenthal, has “received information suggesting that some pharmacies have charged substantially increased out-of-pocket prices for Tamiflu, in some cases as high as $130 or more. He has also heard that some retailers may be purchasing capsules of higher-dosage Tamiflu from distributors and remarketing it as liquid-form lower dosages at greatly inflated prices.” [More]
Target's Reality Vortex Expands To Walgreens
By 11.15.09
Stephanie sent us this photo from her local Walgreens. Have they been taking lessons in pricing from Target? Sure, MSRP is is merely a suggestion, but this is a rather obvious case.
Silly Consumer, Did You Think Your Prescription Info Was Private?
By 8.10.09
The NYT has the story of a woman who, more than 10 years after she tried and failed to have a baby using in vitro procedures, is still getting marketing information for all sorts of products. First it was Pampers and baby formula — then, as the baby she did not have “grew up,” so did the marketing offers. How did they get her information? They bought it.
Trade Walgreens Hippie Cold/Flu Remedy For Actual Flu Shot
By 8.4.09
First, there was Airborne. Then there was Rite-Aid’s house brand version of Airborne. Now, the Walgreens brand of homeopathic cold and flu remedy was also the subject of a class action lawsuit, and the settlement is at hand.
By 6.22.09
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Walgreens says declining home values and rising unemployment are causing consumers to cut back on everything but essentials like soap and milk. Consequently, the drugstore chain is having to spend money revamping its merchandise selection to match the trend. It’s back to basics if you want to make money. [Bloomberg]
Walgreens Cancels EasySaver Program, But That Doesn't Mean You Can't Still Play "The Drugstore Game"
By 6.4.09
Mitchell wrote to us complaining about Walgreen’s decision to cancel its EasySaver Rebate program, where customers could submit multiple rebate requests at once and get the money back along with a 10% bonus applied to a gift card. Although the program is no longer with us, it’s still very possible to game the reward/discount systems at Walgreens and other chain drugstores to accumulate huge savings. Sometimes you can even make money back.
Massachusetts CVS Stores Regularly Overcharge Customers
By 5.7.09
The number of overcharging violations – defined as charging more at the register than the price in an advertisement, on a shelf sign, or on the item itself – soared to 711, from 425.
Walgreens Pharmacist Sends Hand Written Thank You Note To Customer
By 4.30.09
Whether it’s rational or not, there’s something very satisfying when your pharmacist acknowledges you personally—it makes you feel like this expert you’re placing such trust in takes the job, and you, seriously. In our experience it’s a rare thing to see from pharmacists at chain drugstores, but Mike just had a great encounter with his Walgreens pharmacist when he moved to a new town.
Pop Quiz: How Much Is This Walgreens Mouthwash?
By 4.16.09
Reader Travis is wondering if anyone can tell him how much this mouthwash costs? It is a mystery.
Chia Obama Pulled From Walgreens Shelves
By 4.6.09
Sorry, folks, you’ll have to go elsewhere than Walgreens to purchase your “Chia Obamas,” as headquarters has asked local stores to remove the item, saying they felt it was bad for their corporate image. This perhaps marks the first time anyone has said, yeah, that’s probably not a good way to commodify the Barackster. The Chia Obama comes in two formats, “Happy Chia Obama,” and “Determined Chia Obama,” sporting either a smile, or steely resolve, respectively.
Walgreens Doesn't Want You To Print Your Own Passport Photos
By 3.23.09
Walgreens charges a hefty $7.99 for passport photos. Is it because they’re super fancy, or technically challenging to create, or the paper is strawberry scented? The answer to all of these questions is no. It’s because it’s an easy way to make a quick buck. That’s why they hate it when you find a cheaper online solution and try to print out your own 4×6 layout of passport photos via their stores.
By 2.11.09
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Want a free one-night movie rental from the Kiosk based Redbox Service? Just Enter this Code from Walgreens, WGREEN2, and a night of entertainment is a quick trip to your nearest supermarket/airport lounge/odd standalone.
Walgreens Jerks You Around When You Try To Buy Plan B
By 12.1.08
A reader’s girlfriend tried to buy Plan B yesterday, but the Oxford, MS Walgreens pharmacy seemed to go out of their way to make it has hard as possible. Mere incompetence doesn’t explain what happened. Instead, it sounds more like a consciously decided system of policies designed to discourage people from buying the pill…
Christmas Creep Is Mutating At Walgreens: "Halloween Trees?" Seriously?
By 10.27.08
It’s bad enough when people send us pictures of Halloween decorations mixed in with Christmas ones, but a “Halloween Tree”? What the hell is a “Halloween Tree?”
Confirmed: Christmas Is Creeping
By 9.28.08
The Chicago Tribune confirms that Christmas is creeping up earlier this year as skittish retailers try to stay ahead of the ever-crescendoing non-recession. Walgreens, Kohls, and Home Depot were all singled out for defying the calendar, but blame also belongs with consumers who fuel seasonal ignorance with their buying choices.
Stop Whining About Hurricane Ike, You're Scheduled To Work At Walgreens
By 9.15.08
Nearly all of Houston has no power and most has no water. Even though my upstairs ceiling caved in, my manager at Walgreens said “you’re scheduled to work and are expected to be here.”
