Upscale Walgreens Opening In Chicago, Will Feature Humidor, Fine Wines and More

When Walgreens opens its new 27,350-square-foot, two-story store in Chicago on Tuesday customers can expect a whole lot more than prescription drugs, cosmetics and home essentials. That’s because the new Walgreens locations is a posh upscale store that hopes to target more “upscale” clientele while drawing old customers back to the prescription drug chain.

Opening in Chicago’s Loop the store allows visitors to serve themselves frozen yogurt and even pick up hand-rolled sushi on the go. If that isn’t enough you can also grab a smoothie at the stores juice bar or browse through the “best-in-class” wine selection which offers more than 700 fine wines along with artisan cheeses to create a nice pairing.

If you’re a cigar enthusiast they also have a cigar humidor.

But it isn’t just new offerings that are hoping to impress, the Walgreens pharmacy at the Loop location features iPad health guides, a new “Ask Your Pharmacist” desk and the company’s “Take Care” clinic for quick physicals and vaccinations.

Walgreens has also upped the ante on their cosmetics area by providing “specially trained beauty advisers” along with high end products such as a $160 Italian facial serum, a nail bar and an eyebrow bar.

Speaking to Crain’s a retail expert notes of the changes to the new Walgreens location:

“Drugstores in general have really recognized that their hold on the beauty market has been whittled away by the Ultas and the Sephoras of the world,” and “They know if they want their female customers to buy an extra item when they walk in, they really have to up their game.”

Do you think a new upscale Walgreens will bring in new clientele and win back some of the customers they have lost to competing chains?