Business & Tech

Walgreens Nearing Completion, Set to Open in Fall

The new drug store features a drive-through pharmacy.

With fences down and landscaping going in, construction of a Walgreens in downtown Lemon Grove is nearing completion. The new drug store is set to open in fall, according to the company.

Located at Massachusetts Avenue and Broadway, the 13,795-square-foot store sits at the head of the city’s business corridor on a site that was once home to a Payless Shoe Store.

The company has 7,907 locations in the United States, and currently operates 20 stores in San Diego County. Walgreens stocks products for people’s health and daily living, says company spokesman Robert Elfinger, and the pharmacy offers an array of services, such as vaccinations and health screenings, and the convenience of a drive-through window for picking up prescriptions.

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Elfinger says the company expects to employ 25 to 30 people at the Lemon Grove location. Those interested in applying for a job can do so using the Job Search tool online at careers.walgreens.com.

In choosing a new location, Walgreens examines a host of factors, Elfinger says, including vehicle and pedestrian traffic patterns, and demographics.

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“We try to find the best corners in the world to build stores,” Elfinger says. “We think the Walgreens at the corner of Massachusetts and Broadway is another good location for us to serve customers.”

Walgreens is one of the country’s fastest growing retailers, according to its corporate web site, with “an organic growth rate of 2.5 to 3 percent in 2012.” As of June 30, the company has 174 more drug stores than one year ago, Elfinger says.

In 2011, Walgreens reported $72.2 billion in sales, up 7.1 percent from 2012; and $2.7 billion in earnings, a nearly 30 percent increase over the previous year.


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