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Walgreens Makes Shopping Easier with Additional Online Savings and New Weekly Ad Circular
Enhancements strengthen drugstore chain’s reach to today’s multi-channel consumer
DEERFIELD, Ill., February 10, 2012 - Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG) advertising circular, a Sunday staple read by more than 50 million U.S. consumers each week, has re-launched with a robust digital offering that offers hundreds of additional items through Walgreens.com and its award-winning mobile applications, while the print version gets a new look and feel designed to improve the shopping experience.
A recent Nielsen study1 shows more than 70 percent of shoppers express a desire for basic digital delivery of advertising inserts in the future. As traffic to Walgreens.com continues to grow, online views of the circular alone have increased more than 50 percent year over year, while Walgreens has driven profitable sales.
“This is the most dramatic refresh we’ve made to the weekly ad in more than two decades, delivering added value for our growing numbers of online and mobile customers, as well as a better experience for those who look forward to seeing it in print,” said Joe Magnacca, Walgreens president of daily living products and solutions. “We’re giving people more convenient ways to shop and save, and this complements our multi-channel strategy by finding new and different ways to cater to today’s consumers.”
What’s New in Print
The new design includes coupons grouped together by category on easy-to-find pages as well as sale items featured more prominently throughout.
Walgreens has also added “QR codes,” enabling mobile users to quickly view more deals directly from a smartphone. Customers can also visit category-specific Walgreens websites highlighted in the ad or find additional bonus buys inside stores.
What’s New Online and Mobile
The online and mobile circular features hundreds of additional in-store offers, online exclusive pages and other “bonus buys.” Online ads also allow for social sharing via Twitter and Facebook, the ability to create advanced shopping lists and more.
Those who sign up to receive the weekly ad via email will receive it as a sneak peek, delivered on Fridays. Signup is available online at www.walgreens.com/sneakpeek or in stores. Those who register will receive a $5 coupon.
“We know that for approximately half of the visitors to Walgreens.com, their next action is to go to one of our stores to shop,” Magnacca said. “For our loyal customers who don’t use computers or the Internet, all of the items we feature online each week will also be specially-marked in our stores.”
To view the new weekly ad, visit www.walgreens.com/weeklyad.
The new circular is Walgreens latest initiative that brings savings to consumers wherever they are and when it’s most convenient.
Last November, Walgreens unveiled the largest retail mobile coupon offering in the U.S. on “Black Friday,” with point-of-sale scanning available at more than 7,800 stores nationwide. The program helped generate more than 500,000 downloads of the Walgreens mobile application in December.
Walgreens is also leveraging mobile and social technology to send mobile coupons via Twitter and to customers who check in from Walgreens stores through platforms such as Foursquare.
To help pharmacy customers better manage their health, Walgreens mobile applications and online tools feature mobile resources such as prescription text alerts, which notify patients when refills are due and when prescriptions are ready. Text alerts are used by more than 2 million pharmacy customers. In addition, Walgreens Refill by Scan application enables pharmacy customers to order prescription refills simply by scanning a barcode. Nearly 40 percent of Walgreens online refills currently come through mobile scanning.
Through Walgreens.com, Walgreens pharmacy staff is available 24/7 online for live chats to answer patient questions and concerns.
1 The Evolution of Circulars – Q4, 2011
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,830 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.