Walgreens Launches New Loyalty Program, Ups Same-Day Service

Walgreens - New Loyalty Program

Deerfield, Illinois-based pharmacy chain Walgreens has launched a revamped customer loyalty program, myWalgreens, which promises its customers new benefits as the company closes down its previous offering, Balance Rewards.

In a press release, the company said it aims to provide its customers with the “fastest same-day retail pickup offering available today.” Customers can shop online or using a revamped mobile app for “health and wellness items, and then pick them up in the store, curbside or at the drive-thru in as little as 30 minutes,” per the release. Certain restrictions apply, such as for Walgreens locations that aren’t open 24 hours a day.

Walgreens said the previous version of its app had been downloaded more than 65 million times and that its current loyalty program has more than 100 million members.

The chain has more than 9,000 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens already offers an at-home delivery service through DoorDash and Postmates.

According to the company’s announcement, myWalgreens members will get:

  • 1 percent Walgreens Cash rewards storewide
  • 5 percent Walgreens Cash rewards on Walgreens-branded products
  • “Only for you” exclusive deals

The pharmacy chain is looking to help “customers and patients manage their health and well-being during the most severe health crisis of our lifetimes,” said John Standley, Walgreens president. “Our pharmacists and patient care teams do far more than just fill prescriptions – they provide trusted advice, personalized support and a vast range of services.”

The company said that “the debut of myWalgreens marks another milestone in the company’s digital transformation.”

The Walgreens Boots Alliance said its fourth-quarter profits dropped 45 percent to $373 million from $677 million a year earlier, as the U.K. business, in particular, was hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Sales in the fourth quarter, ending Aug. 31, were $34.7 billion, an increase of 2.3 percent from the year-ago quarter, according to a press release.

Walgreens Boots Alliance is the holding company of the combined Walgreens and Alliance Boots.