Even after 59 years, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be’

Martha Morgan likes being busy. Working as a shift lead at Walgreens store #1279 near the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque—a store she helped open in 1984—she stays occupied helping customers, ringing up purchases and merchandising the shelves.

“I like to keep busy, and I love being around people,” says Morgan. “I’ve enjoyed every year that I’ve worked at Walgreens.”

That’s quite a few years, 59 to be exact, making Morgan the longest-serving team member at Walgreens today. As her 60-year service anniversary approaches, Morgan reflects on her long career to share the best parts of her job, memorable moments and why Walgreens has always been (and still is) the right place for her.

Beautiful beginnings

Morgan has been part of the opening crew for four different Walgreens stores in the Albuquerque area since her first day in 1965, often drawing on her extensive knowledge of the beauty department.

“I worked in cosmetics for over 40 years before becoming a shift lead,” she explains.

“Customers still come back to me or ask for me by name for cosmetics help—it makes me feel good that I helped them enough that they returned, that they trusted me.” In her shift lead role, Morgan still directs shoppers to products they need, plus other responsibilities like preparing the stock room for the day, closing the store at night and coaching her fellow team members.

Competitive by nature, Morgan recalls being named one of the highest sellers for cosmetics across Walgreens stores in New Mexico and winning many sales competitions. One particularly memorable contest earned her a trip to visit New York City with 12 other beauty team members from across the country as a thank-you for their efforts.

Her secret to sales? Friendly conversation.

“Just talking to customers, asking them questions, is the way I get to figure out what their needs are and what they came in for,” says Morgan. “And of course, learn your products, know everything about your products, so you can get them the right one and explain the benefits.” Walking around the store to help customer continues to be one of Morgan’s favorite parts of the job.

Customers turned friends

Being a familiar face in the community pharmacy for nearly 60 years has led to many long-lasting relationships. Morgan is occasionally greeted by current and former customers while out and about on her days off, with some offering hugs and sharing they miss seeing her at her previous stores. Two customers in particular have become friends.

“After years and years of coming in to see me as customers, we now get together every once in a while and do things together,” says Morgan. “It's  nice to know you can do that with customers, start a friendship like that.”

Coworkers have also become friends for Morgan in her time at Walgreens. She is part of a group of five current or former team members that get together to have dinner for each others’ birthdays, a tradition going on many years now.

Family in the pharmacy

Over the decades, there have been some other familiar faces in Morgan’s stores: her family.

“My kids grew up at Walgreens. Three of my children have worked for Walgreens at one point or another when they were in school,” says Morgan. “Then I even had three grandchildren who have worked here.”

Morgan’s “friendly sales competition” with daughter DeAndra, a fellow beauty advisor at a different store at the time, is highlighted in a 2006 profile of her in Walgreen World, a company magazine for Walgreens team members. For about six months, they worked in the same location as the elder Morgan helped build the store’s beauty department business.

In even more Walgreens connections, DeAndra’s husband Cory Archuleta is currently a store manager at Walgreens store #12004 across town in Albuquerque. He has worked at Walgreens for 26 years, although the two did not meet at Walgreens and he did not know Martha when he met DeAndra.

Life outside Walgreens

Speaking of family, it’s her six children, 21 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren that keep Morgan busy outside of work, along with her love of plants.

“I have a beautiful, big garden, I love flowers,” she says. “I work in my yard every time I get a chance.”

For Morgan, her job at Walgreens is a great fit for her life, offering balance between staying busy at work and time for family and hobbies. Asked about potential retirement plans, her answer now is the same as it was in her 2006 Walgreen World profile: She’s not ready yet.

“I’m going to stick with it as much as I can,” she says. “I just feel like I have the best of both worlds here.”

What it was like in 1965

President of the United States of America: Lyndon B. Johnson
President of Walgreen Company: Alvin Borg

Population of Alburquerque, New Mexico: 269,000 (today 561,000)
Number of Walgreens drug stores: 479 (today more than 8,500)

Price of Gallon of Gas: $0.31
Price of Gallon of Milk: $1.06
Price of Loaf of Bread: $0.21

Top Song: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
Top Movies: The Sound of Music, Doctor Zhivago