Chapter 40: The Retail Industry: Not Your Father's Drugstore
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This is a fascinating account of the changes Walgreen’s has gone through to meet customer needs. The stores moved from their position next to a grocery store to freestanding stores after the 1970s. In the early 1990s freestanding stores with drive-through pharmacies were initiated. At this time, liquor was discontinued from the product line in favor or convenience foods. Late in the 1990s it looked like online drug stores were going to take business away from brick and mortar stores such as Walgreen’s. However, that did not happen. In 2009, Walgreens decided to reintroduce beer and wine sales, which at that point in time, could have been viewed as a disconnect with its heath care goals. The case focuses on Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the rollout of beer and wine sales met opposition because it might intensify the drinking culture in the state.
Mike Polzin Biography |