Why follow when you can lead the industry?

Walgreens has always been an innovator since the first day Charles R. Walgreen Sr. opened his doors with a pioneering focus on customer service and an array of product offerings unmatched by any other drugstore. That spirit has persevered throughout our history. Our soda fountains served up the first malted milkshakes in 1922, and our stores were the first to switch from a “counter-service” model – where a clerk collected all your desired items – to the self-service format we’re all familiar with today. We were also the first drugstore chain to install computers in every pharmacy and to link them nationwide by satellite.

Today, we’re still focused on finding better ways to run our business, but now it means developing a more efficient pharmacy system or creating a distribution center that enables people with disabilities to work alongside typically-abled individuals. We’re also seeking new ways to expand the suite of health and wellness services offered under the Walgreens brand. Our company is constantly moving forward.

This short history of Walgreens focuses on some of the innovations that have made us who we are today.

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  • Take a look at the storied history of Walgreens and some of the innovations that have made us who we are today.

Innovation Snapshot

1922

Walgreens invented the malted milkshake. Customers stood three and four deep around the soda fountain to buy the "double-rich chocolate malted milk."

1950

Walgreens began to build self-service instead of clerk service stores in the Midwest. By 1953, Walgreens was the largest self-service retailer in the country.

1968

Walgreens became the first major drug chain to put its prescriptions into child-resistant containers, long before it was required by law.

1981

The first Intercom computers were installed in five Walgreen pharmacies in Des Moines, Iowa. This was the initial step toward making Walgreens the first drugstore chain to connect all its pharmacy departments via satellite.

1992

The first freestanding Walgreens store with a drive-through pharmacy opened, resulting in substantial sales increases and a company-wide business model shift.

1999

Walgreens.com, a comprehensive online pharmacy, was launched, offering customers a convenient and secure way to take care of many pharmaceutical and healthcare needs online.

2007

Our new, revolutionary distribution center in Anderson, SC incorporates state-of-the-art technology, going beyond ADA standards. Touch screens for the visually impaired. Flexible workstations. Wheelchair ramps. This opens up opportunities for hundreds of team members with disabilities who might not have been able to work in traditional environments.

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