Walgreens gets scoop on local goods

WASILLA — When national pharmacy giant Walgreens opens its Wasilla location in spring 2009, it will mark the store’s first appearance in the 49th state.

Wasilla was chosen over Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, as Walgreens’ debut location.

On Monday, local vendors had a chance to meet officials from Walgreens and talk with product buyers interested in featuring at least some local products in Walgreens stores.

“What we did was invite all the vendors who can potentially put merchandise in our stores through local buys,” Walgreens Vice President of Store Operations Rob Hasty said.

Walgreens is coming to the Mat-Su Valley because because demographics have fallen in line for the clientele to whom Walgreens typically caters, Hasty said.

“The over-65 population is growing at about a 25-percent clip,” Hasty said of the local population of older folks.

The Wasilla location will be a 24-hour store with a heated drive-through at its location near the new Target store, Hasty said.

When the store opens, Hasty said Walgreens will stock some local products, such as pet supplies, souvenirs and fishing products. Local product buyers with Walgreens will be meeting with vendors for the next two days to gauge how well a product could sell if it were featured in the new store.

Having that input from local merchants is a boon to Walgreens when it opens a location, Hasty said.

“I think we’ll start out well,” he said. “One of the ideas is having vendors come in so we can adapt the store to the market.”

Walgreens has 6,297 locations in 49 states, including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, the company reports. Alaska will make it an even 50 states for the chain drug store.

A typical Walgreens store centers on its pharmacy, but also offers convenience items such as some food, school supplies and personal health products.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.