Crain's:
Walgreen Co. on Wednesday announced it plans to request a license from the City of Chicago to sell beer and wine at 18 of its 174 Chicago stores.
The Deerfield-based drugstore plans to file its application with the city on Thursday, a spokesman said.
Walgreen said in March 2009 that it would revisit selling liquor nationwide after abandoning the merchandise segment in the 1990s. The company already sells beer and wine at its Vernon Hills, Bourbonnais, Rockford and North Aurora store. It will begin selling liquor in Niles in about a week, said a company spokesman.
“We’re responding to customers’ demand,” he said. “We’re trying to provide more of a one-stop shopping experience.”
Yeah there were some Walgreen's stores in the neighborhood such as 75th & State or perhaps once upon a time 87th & Cottage that once had liquor sections. What would you think if alcohol sales returned to our community?
Walgreens is doing this nation wide after test proved it would be successful. They are looking at competing against the grocery chains that have wine and spirit sections.
ReplyDeleteAs far as 79th or 87th they will more than likely not be in the initial rollout but come somewhere down the line. Most of the wines that will be sold will come in the price range of $6-$16 there fore discouraging the "problematic value brand(cheap liquor) customer". Also, the beers will focus on major brands and craft beers with no single serves again discouraging problem customers.
Walgreen thought this out before making this decision because they did not want the PR nightmare they had with the full liquor sections before.
I stand corrected 87th Street is in the initial rollout.
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