CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are welcoming a new flagship Walgreens to the city.
The pair spoke Monday at a private reception and ribbon cutting at the new store on State Street.
Quinn commented that the Walgreens he remembers from his childhood "did not have a sushi bar." Emanuel praised Walgreens for helping the city reduce so-called "food deserts" by selling fresh fruit and vegetables in neighborhood stores.
Deerfield-based Walgreen Co. is catering to upmarket customers to increase sales beyond the pharmacy. The nation's largest drugstore chain anticipates losing prescription drug sales after a split with St. Louis-based Express Scripts Inc. pharmacy network..
The new Walgreen store also revamps its pharmacy with an "Ask Your Pharmacist" desk, consultation rooms and a space to host community health events.