Dive Brief:

• Reaching more customers seeking convenience, Walgreens announced Thursday that it has launched a 24-hour same-day delivery service to nearly 400 stores, enabling shoppers to order more than 27,000 items for delivery in an hour or so. Shoppers can also get their prescriptions via same-day delivery within the Walgreens app or by calling the pharmacy, and delivery fees will vary based on location. 
• The new 24-hour service isn’t currently available in 10 states, including Colorado, Iowa and Utah. MyWalgreens loyalty members can earn Walgreens Cash Rewards and use digital coupons on their delivery orders on the retailer’s website or mobile app. 
• Walgreens is also piloting a 30-minute pick-up guarantee in New Mexico, Oklahoma and select markets in Texas, where it will cover the cost of a customer basket if it doesn’t meet the pickup timeframe, per the announcement.

Dive Insight:

Walgreens has been pushing its on-demand deliveries for the past two years. 

In 2020, the pharmacy chain tapped DoorDash to execute same-day deliveries of various health, wellness and convenience items in Chicago, Denver and Atlanta. Plus, DashPass subscribers could access free deliveries for orders valued at $12 or more.

The following year, Walgreens began relying on more delivery services. In February that year, the retailer teamed up with Instacart to offer same-day delivery at almost 8,000 stores across the country. Customers could order health, grocery and over-the-counter medicine through the service and receive them in as soon as an hour. With Instacart, Postmates and DoorDash as partners, the retailer announced the expansion of contactless delivery across the country in under two hours in May 2021.

“Walgreens knows that taking care of health and wellbeing isn’t exclusive to business hours and that needs can pop up at any time of day – that’s why we’re always looking for ways to enhance the customer experience with convenient and trusted solutions,” Stefanie Kruse, group vice president of digital commerce at Walgreens, said in a statement.

Kruse continued: “As the place customers turn to for their last-minute needs, we know they will find value in being able to access the items they need most, no matter the hour, right to their door.”