Walgreens Showing Mobile Apps Aren’t Just for Millennials
June 27 2017 - 1:01PM
Business Wire
Data show Walgreens app driving more than
twice the adoption rate of industry averages among adults age 55
and older
The Walgreens mobile app, already one of the most popular
retailer apps in the marketplace with tens of millions of users
nationwide, has garnered a particularly robust following among
older Americans -- a demographic rarely associated with mobile app
adoption.
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A pill reminder is among features giving
the Walgreens mobile app a robust following among older Americans.
(Photo: Business Wire)
Walgreens data show more than 20 percent of its app users are
age 55 and older, more than twice the percentage of industry
averages. According to a 2017 survey by Forrester Research, Inc.,
just 9 percent of all smartphone owners who use shopping apps at
least weekly are 55 and older.* Walgreens credits its mobile
pharmacy features, such as Pill Reminder and Refill by Scan, for
much of its app popularity among older Americans. In fact, 37
percent of those utilizing its mobile pharmacy tools are 55
plus. By comparison, Forrester data show that only 10 percent of
smartphone owners who use health and wellness apps at least weekly
are in the 55 plus category.*
“One of the things we repeatedly hear is that customers really
value their connections with individual pharmacists and staff,”
said Mindy Heintskill, Walgreens divisional vice president,
loyalty. “We wanted to replicate that connection digitally, so
customers can get a high-value, personalized experience even when
they can’t make it into a store. We created Pharmacy Chat, which
enables customers to have access to trusted experts through our
site or mobile app anytime of the day or night, wherever they are.
We’ve also seen opportunities for tools like individual pill
reminders and prescription alerts to help our customers simplify
their daily lives.”
Walgreens has made a number of feature enhancements within the
app, aimed at better meeting the needs and interests of older adult
users. These include:
- Support of TouchID and secure
auto-login, addressing a key obstacle for users who struggle to
remember or locate user credentials, a greater challenge for less
frequent users of such apps
- Simplified menus, also welcomed by
infrequent mobile app users unfamiliar with conventions that become
familiar with use
- A pill reminder feature helpful to
older adults and seniors who are more likely to have multiple daily
dosages to manage
- Support for smartphones that offer font
size options for apps
- Balance Rewards for healthy choices®
that gives users shopper loyalty points if they use the app to
track walking, cycling, weight management, blood pressure and
more
The mobile app category with the highest proportion of weekly
users 55 and over is news/media, at 16 percent, according to
Forrester.*
“You know you’ve got a differentiator in the marketplace with
this kind of traction,” Heintskill said. “With consumer
expectations rising, we continue to put customer needs at the
center of everything we do. The fact that more than 20 percent of
our app users are in the 55 plus age group is a testament to the
extensive research and consumer testing our team conducts to
develop the most customer-centric tools for our users. We innovate
based on our customers’ needs—not just for the fun of it.”
* Forrester, Consumer Technographics North American Online
Benchmark Survey (Part1), 2017
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest
drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division
of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global
pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 million
customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across
America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer
goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and
wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,175 drugstores
with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel
business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer
Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic
services.
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WalgreensJim
Graham847-315-2925http://news.walgreens.com@WalgreensNewsfacebook.com/Walgreens
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