Numerator: Walgreens shoppers ‘upset’ about closures, will shift purchases to ...
Walgreens' store closing plans have unsettled some shoppers — and opened up opportunities for other retailers.
Following the pharmacy giant's announcement that it planned to close 1,200 stores stores by the end of fiscal 2027, Numerator conducted a “quick pulse” survey of 500 people with verified Walgreens purchases in the past six months. If Walgreens is no longer an option, buyers said they are most likely to shift their purchases to other drug stores such as CVS or Rite Aid (51%) and mass retailers such as Walmart or Target (43%).
Other choices include grocery stores like Kroger or Publix (28%), warehouse club stores (18%) and dollar or discount stores (18%).
The survey found that 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%).
In other results, 53% of shoppers said they are upset about the closure news (14% are very upset, 39% say they are somewhat upset), according to the survey, and 58% said a closure of their local store would have a slight to significant impact on them.
Other insights from the Numerator survey are below.
•Of the buyers who said they purchased OTC meds at Walgreens, 59% said they view other drug stores as a direct substitute in place of 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 in place of Walgreens, followed by mass retailers (30%), grocery stores (28%), online pharmacies (20%) and independent/local pharmacies (17%).
•Specifically, 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 in place of Walgreens, followed by medical facilities (29%) and mass retailers (25%).
