Walgreens is one of the most popular stores in America, with over 9,000 stores across all 50 states. It also has stores in Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgins Islands. And you can find a store on nearly every street corner.
It specializes in health and wellness products, health information, filling prescriptions, and photo services. As one of the most well-known drugstore chains in the country, it has over 88 million Balance Rewards members. It has established its reputation as an affordable shopping destination for everyday household goods.
Walgreens is just one of the many retail companies in the US. So, you may be wondering who are the biggest competitors to Walgreens. Let’s find out!
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Biggest Walgreens Competitors
CVS Health is the largest pharmacy chain in the US, making it the chief rival to Walgreens. However, other pharmacy chains compete with Walgreens offering prescription services and health products. So, let’s get started and find the best store for your health requirements.
CVS Health
CVS has more than 9,900 pharmacy locations throughout the US. It offers a wide assortment of health, wellness, personal care, and beauty products. It also sells general merchandise, snacks, and groceries. As the US’s largest pharmacy chain, its revenue for the twelve months ending March 31, 2023, was $299.840 billion.
Some of its stores are open 24/7 and offer prescription delivery services. If you’re a CVS CarePass Member, you can receive eligible prescriptions within a few hours. That’s not all! You can use the free same-day delivery options instead of waiting for one to two days.
Kroger
There are around 3,000 Kroger locations nationwide, and most of them have a pharmacy store. Kroger is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the US, and its annual revenue for 2021 was $132,498B. It offers a variety of healthcare products in-store and online.
It also has a prescription drug discount that’ll save you money if you don’t have insurance. If you have a Kroger account, sign in and set up online pharmacy access. You can also order your prescriptions by mail or phone.
Deliver to your doorstep!
Kroger Mail Order Pharmacy can deliver your prescription order to your doorstep. This service is offered through Postal Prescription Services, which makes Kroger’s pharmacy services convenient to customers. Kroger offers a larger product selection in its stores compared to Walgreens.
McKesson
McKesson is the fourth-largest pharmacy chain in the US, and it provides pharmaceutical products, medical supplies, and offers care management. This giant pharmacy chain is in the health information technology sector with more than 5,000 locations through Health Mart.
Did you know that McKesson delivers a third of all pharmaceuticals used in North America? It employs over 78,000 employees, and its annual revenue for 2021 was $238.22 billion.
Rite Aid
This drug store chain has over 2,200 locations in 17 states. The state with the greatest number of stores is Pennsylvania, with 494 locations. Rite Aid competes with Walgreens in both pharmacy services and retail shopping. Its pharmacy services include mail-in deliveries and pick-up, health and wellness, and beauty.
It also has photo services, and its small retail section in its stores offers affordable good quality products. Ride Aid has raised its fiscal 2023 Adjusted EBITDA guidance, and its total revenue is expected to be between $24.4 billion and $24.7 billion.
Walmart
Walmart competes with Walgreens in both pharmacy services and retail. It operates approximately 10,500 stores and clubs, with a total of 4,735 stores in the US. This retail giant offers prescription medications and other general merchandise at lower prices than Walgreens.
Target
At Target, you can shop in-store or online for everything – from groceries to clothes and other essentials. Target offers pharmacy services, making it one of Walgreens’ competitors in both the pharmaceutical and retail sectors. As one of the biggest retail chains, Target has over 1,900 locations in the US, and most of these have a pharmacy.
You can shop at Target for your pharmacy and medical needs at great prices.
Targets revenue for 2021 was $93,561 billion, a 19.78% increase from 2020.
OptumRx
OptumRx is a pharmacy care service company that is part of the UnitedHealth Group. It offers home delivery of prescriptions and specialty pharmacy services, allowing you to manage your healthcare in the comfort of your home. It’s a giant in home pharmacy services, and it also has a network of retail stores.
Optum is a big revenue driver for the UnitedHealth Group, and it’s reported that Optum served 100 million people in 2021. Its total revenue for 2021 was $287.6 billion, and earnings from operations were $24 billion!
Cigna (Express Scripts)
Cigna is a global health service company that offers health, pharmacy, dental, and supplemental insurance. They bought Express Scripts which is a pharmacy benefit management organization; therefore, they also own Express Scripts Pharmacies which has made the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable.
Cigna competes with Walgreens’ pharmacy services, and its revenue for the twelve months ending March 31, 2023, Cigna made $174,078 billion. A huge chunk of this was a result of Express Scripts Pharmacies’ services and products.
Costco
Next in my rundown of the Biggest Walgreens Competitors, Costco competes with Walgreens because it also provides pharmacy services, health and beauty products, and general merchandise. It is a wholesale retailer that operates 833 stores in 11 countries, with more than 574 of these in the US.
Wholesale retailers are becoming more popular, so Costco is a favorite with consumers. It has some of the lowest medication prices. So, if you’re looking to cut the cost of your prescriptions, Costco warehouse club is the best place to start.
Publix
Publix offers pharmacy services, groceries, and general merchandise in its stores. It has approximately 1,300 locations throughout the Southern part of the US. Publix has the advantage of offering low-cost prescriptions, which has earned it a large following of loyal customers.
Plus, they are so easy to shop with, allowing you to refill your prescription anytime and anywhere with the Publix Pharmacy app. You can also get text alerts when it’s time to refill, and once you customize the app to suit your routine, you’ll even get a text alert reminding you to take your medication.
In 2021, Publix generated approximately $48 billion in sales.
Albertsons
Albertsons provides pharmacy services and gives Walgreens a run for its money when it comes to health products and retail. Almost all Albertsons locations have a pharmacy, making the locations your one-stop shop for your grocery and pharmacy needs.
It operates more than 2,270 stores across 34 states and has 316 pharmacy locations. It is one of the best options available for patient care.
If Walgreens Is Your Favorite Store…
Then, why not find out more about the services they offer for your stationery needs by finding out Does Walgreens Sell Stamps, as well as Does Walgreens Fill Ink Cartridges, or even Can You Print Documents At Walgreens And Do They Laminate if you’re working remotely in 2023.
Whether you prefer a digital wallet or you’re a cashless shopper, take a look at Does Walgreens Have ATMs, or if you forgot to draw money, Does Walgreens Do Cash Back, and for payment methods, Does Walgreens Take Apple Pay, and Does Walgreens Accept EBT, WIC, And Food Stamps if you’re supporting a large family.
Lastly, to make sure you get there first, find out When Does Walgreens Restock, or you might be curious to know Why Are CVS And Walgreens Always Together and if they are affiliated in any way?
Biggest Walgreens Competitors – Final Thoughts
In terms of the biggest competitors to Walgreens, the main one is CVS Health.
CVS remains the largest pharmacy in the US by the number of locations and total prescription revenue. Walgreens also gets competition from Kroger and Publix, which offer low-cost prescription medications for some health conditions.
However, it does have some advantages, such as when you use the Walgreens app, you can refill your prescription in seconds and track your order. Or you can join the Prescription Savings Club and get discounts on over 8,000 medications.
You know what they say… Business is Business!