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They were investing in Theranos right before this, and they're undergoing a massive shrinkage right now. Forgive me if I don't innately trust Walgreen's busines

They were investing in Theranos right before this, and they're undergoing a massive shrinkage right now. Forgive me if I don't innately trust Walgreen's business savvy at the moment.

hakfoo 5y ago
I have the feeling that we reached or surpassed "peak retail pharmacy" at some point, but they aren't ready to admit it, so they're going on random tech benders hoping to appear relevant. We have a few national chains that expanded hugely, probably far beyond their ability to service, as part of a huge turf war a few years ago. Now they're stuck with loads of locations to fill, and mediocre to terrible service in their core-competency. My family members are constantly fighting with the local chain pharmacy just to achieve things like "be able to collect a prescription during the posted hours" because their staffing has been so terrible. All the while, they're bleeding customers in that space: you've got health plans desperately pushing mail-order, some plans that refuse to treat some pharmacies as preferred (I had to go to a different chain when I actually wanted to use my plan), and customers being more prone to comparison shopping that tells me that my prescription is cheaper to pay cash for at the local supermarket I'm already visiting, than to pay my co-pay-- or let alone the absurd cash price-- Walgreens or CVS wants for it. But let's not talk about that. Let's focus on the mediocre convenience store bolted onto the side of the drug counter. The one which is nobody's first stop for any given product. We found a way to make it more miserable and now people will buy 4% more of those weird house-brand snack foods!
- Talanes 5y ago
  > The one which is nobody's first stop for any given product. Walgreens unfortunately is mine for many things, due to being the most walkable location for staples in my neighborhood, but they put zero focus into it here. The last few years have just been a steady stream of stopping into Walgreen for something only to realize that they ran out and never intend to restock.

They were investing in Theranos right before this, and they're undergoing a massive shrinkage right now. Forgive me if I don't innately trust Walgreen's business savvy at the moment.

hakfoo 5y ago

I have the feeling that we reached or surpassed "peak retail pharmacy" at some point, but they aren't ready to admit it, so they're going on random tech benders hoping to appear relevant. We have a few national chains that expanded hugely, probably far beyond their ability to service, as part of a huge turf war a few years ago. Now they're stuck with loads of locations to fill, and mediocre to terrible service in their core-competency. My family members are constantly fighting with the local chain pharmacy just to achieve things like "be able to collect a prescription during the posted hours" because their staffing has been so terrible. All the while, they're bleeding customers in that space: you've got health plans desperately pushing mail-order, some plans that refuse to treat some pharmacies as preferred (I had to go to a different chain when I actually wanted to use my plan), and customers being more prone to comparison shopping that tells me that my prescription is cheaper to pay cash for at the local supermarket I'm already visiting, than to pay my co-pay-- or let alone the absurd cash price-- Walgreens or CVS wants for it. But let's not talk about that. Let's focus on the mediocre convenience store bolted onto the side of the drug counter. The one which is nobody's first stop for any given product. We found a way to make it more miserable and now people will buy 4% more of those weird house-brand snack foods!

Talanes 5y ago
> The one which is nobody's first stop for any given product. Walgreens unfortunately is mine for many things, due to being the most walkable location for staples in my neighborhood, but they put zero focus into it here. The last few years have just been a steady stream of stopping into Walgreen for something only to realize that they ran out and never intend to restock.