Walgreens is introducing 24-hour delivery to 400 stores, the company announced Thursday.
Thanks to Walgreens.
“Walgreens knows that health and wellness care is not exclusive to business hours and that needs can pop up at any time of the day,” said Stefanie Kruse, group vice president of digital commerce at the company.
Walgreens already started offering services including same-day delivery with DoorDash – which started a few months after the pandemic started, and one-hour delivery within certain time limits.
This new service promises that customers will be able to receive “an assortment of more than 27,000 items within an hour, regardless of the time of day,” the company said.
The move reflects continued efforts by retailers to get into people’s homes and more creative ways to do so, from Amazon and walmart getting drone delivery to retailers like Sephora who has partnered with DoorDash for makeup delivery.
Related: Amazon unveils new drone intended for faster city deliveries
Still, Walgreens sells items that people often need after normal delivery hours, such as cough drops or cold remedies.
“There are many reasons why I would want a 3 a.m. Walgreens delivery,” Jonah Ellin, chief product officer at a retail research firm 1010data told USA Today.
He further told the outlet that retail is increasingly focused on fast delivery. “People want it on demand. They want it now,” he said.
People can order from the 400 participating Walgreens stores that are already open 24 hours a day. DoorDash and UberEats drivers will complete deliveries, according to USA Today.
The company is offering a promo code for its new service called “NOW20,” which offers free delivery on orders over $20 through Dec. 10.
However, the company said in the release that the service is not available in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
There are also some caveats: The company says in the release that one-hour delivery is available from 9am to 9pm, but other times may be variable.
“Order deadlines may vary by store location. 24-hour delivery service is based on courier availability,” the release added.
Further, you can only order alcohol from “select” stores in Illinois and Florida, it said.
