Walgreens shoppers surveyed by market researcher Numerator said they are prepared to switch to other drug chains and mass merchants if impacted by the planned closure of some 1,200 Walgreens stores.
Walgreens recently reported it would close 1,200 underperforming stores among its nearly 8,000 stores during the next three years.
Walgreens shoppers surveyed by market researcher Numerator said they are prepared to switch to other drug chains and mass merchants if impacted by the planned closure of some 1,200 Walgreens stores.
Numerator issued a “quick pulse” survey on October 23, 2024, to 500 people with verified Walgreens purchases during the past six months to better understand how they feel about the closures and where they plan to shift their spending.
Here are key findings from the survey, according to Numerator:
- 53% of Walgreens shoppers surveyed said they are upset about the closure news (14% are very upset, 39% say they are somewhat upset). An additional 36% said they are neutral or indifferent.
- 58% said a closure of their local store would have a slight to significant impact on them.
- If Walgreens is no longer an option, buyers said they most likely would shift their purchases to other drug stores like CVS or Rite Aid (51%); mass retailers like Walmart or Target (43%); grocery stores like Kroger or Publix (28%), club stores like Costco or Sam’s Club (18%); and dollar or discount stores (18%).
- Buyers said they shop at Walgreens because of the convenient location (53%), good sales/deals (38%), good prices (28%), Walgreens being their preferred pharmacy (25%), and because Walgreens is a trusted retailer/brand name (22%).
- The top items purchased by Walgreens shoppers are over-the-counter medications (56% of buyers), personal care items (50%), prescription medications (44%), grocery items (26%), and vaccinations (19%).
- Of the buyers who said they purchased OTC meds at Walgreens, 59%said they view other drug stores as a direct substitute for Walgreens, followed by mass retailers (55%) and grocery stores (34%).
- Of the buyers who said they used Walgreens for their prescription needs, 56%of those buyers said they view other drug stores as a direct substitute for Walgreens, followed by mass retailers (30%), grocery stores (28%), online pharmacies (20%) and independent/local pharmacies (17%).
- Shoppers who get their prescriptions filled at Walgreens said they would shift to CVS (53%), Walmart (30%), other pharmacies (14%), Target (14%), and Costco (12%).
- Of the buyers who said they used Walgreens for vaccinations, 51%of those buyers said they view other drug stores as a direct substitute for Walgreens, followed by medical facilities (29%) and mass retailers (25%).
