Walgreen Co plans to add more fresh food to about 400 stores in areas where access to produce and other goods is scarce, as it tries to position itself as a one-stop shop for health and daily needs. The drugstore chain has already added fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and a variety of other fare to 10 stores in parts of Chicago where grocery stores are hard to find.
Executives at the company's annual meeting on Wednesday said they see a greater opportunity to expand those types of shops in Chicago and other places across the country over the next several years, aiming for about 300 to 500 of the company's more than 7,600 stores. Adding a wider variety of food, beer and wine at the chain in general is also part of the company's strategy to become a more convenient option for shoppers, who have a variety of stores to choose from.
Walgreen is not alone in adding food to its stores. Discounter Target Corp, Family Dollar and a variety of other chains have dedicated more space to food in their stores, especially in recent months. The chains hope that by providing a wider variety of items people will come into their stores more often, and spend more when they visit.