Walgreens Takes Fresh Food on the Road

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Eager to get consumers thinking of its stores as a foodservice destination, Walgreens embarked on a mobile tasting tour providing samples of its fresh food and refreshments. It is bringing the Walgreens "Up Market: Fresh" experience to consumers via a custom-made, 40-foot bus, visiting various Los Angeles locations.

The "Up Market: Fresh" bus' daily location and featured sample menu items are shared via Twitter @upmarketfresh.

"Several innovations are making Walgreens the first choice for health and daily living throughout neighborhoods nationwide. Our fresh food offerings provide customers with easier access to a greater selection of fresh foods and beverages," said Joe Magnacca, president of daily living products and solutions for Walgreens. "The 'Up Market: Fresh' experience is a unique way to showcase our commitment to help people get, stay and live well."

Free tastings include:

• Juices. Samples of nutritious, fresh-made juices made from a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables. Go Green is a featured juice and is a blend of cucumber, kale, celery, green apple and lemon. It is also sampling 100% natural orange juice.
• Smoothie. The featured smoothie is Raspberry Dream, which is blended fresh from raspberries, strawberries, bananas and apple cider.
• Frozen Yogurt. It is sampling two premium, low-fat frozen yogurts--Triple Chocolate and Tahitian Vanilla--alongside a selection of eight toppings.
• Cafe. Visitors can receive free samples of a selection of coffees brewed using the same fresh roasts and barista quality techniques showcased at Walgreens.

Walgreens "Up Market: Fresh" experience is providing free tastes to Los Angeles residents and visitors to commemorate the grand opening of its latest "flagship" store, which is also its 8,000th location. The flagship store features an extensive collection of offerings, products and services not usually found in a drugstore, the company said. It is located at Sunset Blvd. and Vine St. in Hollywood, and opened Dec. 1.

As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens' vision is to become America's first choice for health and daily living. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens' scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services.

The company operates 8,030 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.