Walgreens
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About Walgreens
Walgreens Boots Alliance is the second-largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with approximately 8,500 locations in the US and the parent company of Boots, the UK's largest pharmacy chain. Founded in 1901 in Chicago, Walgreens has approximately $147 billion in annual revenue across its US pharmacy business and international operations. In 2024, Walgreens faced significant financial difficulties — closing 1,200+ underperforming US stores, suspending its dividend, and exploring potential privatization. Despite challenges, Walgreens remains a dominant healthcare retailer with its Walgreens Rewards loyalty program, strong beauty and personal care selection (Boots No7, owned brand), and convenient urban locations. Walgreens offers pharmacy services, immunizations, health clinics (VillageMD partnership), and extensive front-end retail. The company has also expanded into healthcare services through its VillageMD primary care clinics co-located in Walgreens stores in 21+ states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Walgreens or CVS better?
For most consumers, the answer is whichever is more conveniently located. Both accept the same insurance plans, offer similar prescription prices, and have comparable loyalty programs. CVS has an edge in integrated healthcare (owns Aetna, Caremark PBM, MinuteClinic). Walgreens has an edge in beauty/personal care (Boots No7, strong cosmetics section). CVS has more locations (9,000 vs 8,500). Either is a good choice — compare prices on your specific medications and pick the most convenient.
Is Walgreens closing stores?
Yes. Walgreens announced plans to close approximately 1,200 US stores between 2024-2027 due to profitability challenges including high competition from Amazon, online pharmacies, and Costco, plus reimbursement pressures. The closures are concentrated in underperforming urban markets and areas with overlapping locations. Despite the closures, Walgreens remains a major pharmacy chain with 7,000+ locations after restructuring.
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