Content about Greg Wasson

February 18, 2011

The CCR foundation has been laid. Now comes the next phase in Walgreens’ campaign to “enhance the customer experience.”


Customer Centric Retailing is rolling across the chain’s coast-to-coast store network like a tide. The effort — aimed at aligning Walgreens’ mix with what its customers really want from the stores; eliminating hundreds of redundant, slow-turning SKUs; and boosting front-end productivity — already has transformed more than 2,100 Walgreens stores. Another 3,400 are up for renovation by the end of this year.

February 18, 2011



Talk about a bold retail vision. Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson said the nation’s top pharmacy retailer wants nothing less than to “own well.”

February 18, 2011

There’s a reason Walgreens’ leaders are pushing so hard to upgrade communications capabilities and reach consumers through every channel, from stores and drive-through pharmacies to social media and smart phones. “Multichannel shoppers are three times more valuable to a retailer than a single-channel shopper,” president and CEO Greg Wasson said in January.


February 1, 2011

Walgreens on Tuesday announced the implementation of its Walgreens Way to Well Commitment program, a new Walgreens initiative geared toward improving the everyday health of Americans nationwide.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday announced the implementation of its Walgreens Way to Well Commitment program, a new Walgreens initiative geared toward improving the everyday health of Americans nationwide.

To kick off the Way to Well Commitment, more than 7,600 Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics now are offering free blood pressure testing daily throughout February, an offering announced on “The Dr. Oz Show.”

January 21, 2011

“The true ambassadors for the brand.” That’s how Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson now describes the company’s 244,000 employees.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — “The true ambassadors for the brand.” That’s how Walgreens president and CEO Greg Wasson now describes the company’s 244,000 employees.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens names chief customer experience officer, promotes three executives. For the full story, click here)

January 17, 2011

Walgreens announced several executive appointments Monday, which included naming a former United Airlines executive to the post of chief customer experience officer.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens announced several executive appointments Monday, which included naming a former United Airlines executive to the post of chief customer experience officer.

January 14, 2011

Walgreens has talked plenty about its Customer Centric Retailing initiative since the overhaul of its store merchandising and marketing strategy kicked off two years ago. But the rejuvenation of Walgreens’ sprawling, coast-to-coast store network is just the tip of the CCR iceberg, company leaders said.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — Walgreens has talked plenty about its Customer Centric Retailing initiative since the overhaul of its store merchandising and marketing strategy kicked off two years ago. But the rejuvenation of Walgreens’ sprawling, coast-to-coast store network is just the tip of the CCR iceberg, company leaders said.

(THE NEWS: CCR is just the beginning, says Walgreens CEO. For the full story, click here)

January 12, 2011

Walgreens’ massive Customer Centric Retailing initiative is transforming the way the company’s stores are merchandised and designed as it rolls into an ever-larger proportion of its more than 7,600 stores across the United States. But it’s only the opening drive in a campaign to “reinvent the customer experience in our stores,” president and CEO Greg Wasson told shareholders Wednesday.

CHICAGO — Walgreens’ massive Customer Centric Retailing initiative is transforming the way the company’s stores are merchandised and designed as it rolls into an ever-larger proportion of its more than 7,600 stores across the United States. But it’s only the opening drive in a campaign to “reinvent the customer experience in our stores,” president and CEO Greg Wasson told shareholders Wednesday.

January 12, 2011

It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

January 12, 2011

With the explosion in such mobile devices as smart phones, Walgreens is expanding its access across an ever-wider array of options for health consumers, president and CEO Greg Wasson told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Wednesday.

CHICAGO — With the explosion in such mobile devices as smart phones, Walgreens is expanding its access across an ever-wider array of options for health consumers, president and CEO Greg Wasson told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Wednesday.

January 12, 2011

Bolstered by a strong recent uptrend in sales and earnings and by clear signs that its massive realignment is beginning to bear real fruit, Walgreens’ top executives delivered an upbeat assessment of the company’s progress and its potential as a multichannel retail and healthcare powerhouse at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting Wednesday.

CHICAGO — Bolstered by a strong recent uptrend in sales and earnings and by clear signs that its massive realignment is beginning to bear real fruit, Walgreens’ top executives delivered an upbeat assessment of the company’s progress and its potential as a multichannel retail and healthcare powerhouse at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting Wednesday.

December 22, 2010

In a resounding declaration that its massive revitalization efforts have been the right strategy at the right time, Walgreens on Wednesday reported its net earnings jumped to a record $580 million in first quarter fiscal 2011, rising nearly 19% over prior-year levels. Sales for the period ended Nov. 30 also rose 6% to $17.3 billion, another record for the nation’s top drug retailer.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — In a resounding declaration that its massive revitalization efforts have been the right strategy at the right time, Walgreens on Wednesday reported its net earnings jumped to a record $580 million in first quarter fiscal 2011, rising nearly 19% over prior-year levels. Sales for the period ended Nov. 30 also rose 6% to $17.3 billion, another record for the nation’s top drug retailer.

November 14, 2010

The healthcare landscape is changing. There’s a new value-driven consumer who has emerged and, in...

DEERFIELD, Ill. —The healthcare landscape is changing. There’s a new value-driven consumer who has emerged and, in light of this, retail pharmacy giant Walgreens is in the midst of an evolution into “a retail health and daily living store” and is on a mission to “own well.” That was a key message that an optimistic Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, had for Wall Street during the company’s Analyst Day conference on Nov. 4 in Chicago.

November 4, 2010

It would be no small thing to define the retail market for wellness, much less...

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — It would be no small thing to define the retail market for wellness, much less “own” it. But Walgreens is staking its future on its ability to do just that.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens chief: We want to own ‘well.’ For the full story, click here)

November 3, 2010

The healthcare landscape is changing. There’s a new value-driven consumer who has emerged and, in...

DEERFIELD, Ill. The healthcare landscape is changing. There’s a new value-driven consumer who has emerged and, in light of this, retail pharmacy giant Walgreens is in the midst of an evolution into “a retail health and daily living store” and is on a mission to “own well.” That was a key message that an optimistic Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, had for Wall Street during the company’s Analyst Day conference on Thursday in Chicago.

 

October 28, 2010

“We don’t have to be the PBM.” That’s what Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO,...

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT “We don’t have to be the PBM.” That’s what Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, told Drug Store News in one interview last year, and it neatly encapsulates the dynamic that may be unfolding behind the scenes at the nation’s top pharmacy retailer.

(THE NEWS: Walgreens said to consider sale of PBM. For the full story, click here)

October 10, 2010

The Walgreens hedgehog is officially retired. Its fate was sealed by a successful fourth quarter...

September 27, 2010

Walgreens stock was up nearly 9% in early trading Tuesday morning after the company posted...

September 15, 2010

An unannounced but significant realignment of top management at Walgreens will streamline the company’s decision-making...

July 18, 2010

“I have read dribs and drabs of this in different publications over the last couple...

“I have read dribs and drabs of this in different publications over the last couple of years, but this (“7 Deadly Sins of SKU Rationalization,” Drug Store News, June 7, 2010) really pulled it all together.… Hopefully some of the retailers will wake up and read this and understand what they’re doing in terms of customer loyalty, traffic, profitability and so on.”

March 14, 2010

In an interview following Walgreens’ deal to acquire Duane Reade, company president and CEO Greg...

In an interview following Walgreens’ deal to acquire Duane Reade, company president and CEO Greg Wasson discussed the merger’s implications with Drug Store News. Following are excerpts from that conversation:

Drug Store News: Remodeled Duane Reade stores are showing same-store sales running as much as 15% ahead. What’s driving that growth?

March 4, 2010

Walgreens hasn’t finished knocking down its organizational silos....

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Walgreens hasn’t finished knocking down its organizational silos.

(THE NEWS: Integrating health solutions for payers, Walgreens unifies pharmacy, wellness, led by Crawford. For the full story, click here)

The latest move came Monday, when the drug store and health services giant revealed the full outlines of its massive restructuring of all its healthcare operations.

February 28, 2010

Walgreens’ long campaign to overhaul and integrate its pharmacy and clinical health components culminated Monday...

DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens’ long campaign to overhaul and integrate its pharmacy and clinical health components culminated Monday in the company’s announcement that it had restructured its healthcare divisions to create a unified pharmacy, health and wellness solution. That solution, Walgreens reported, is tailored to meet the needs of employers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and government clients searching for more cost-effective care for their health plan members.

 

February 28, 2010

Step by step, Walgreens is moving to position itself at the intersection of two powerful...

February 28, 2010

In one big sense, the massive rejuvenation campaign under way at Walgreens is about finding...