by Kate Evans
The Rite Aid on Gayle Drive in Berkeley Springs will be transform over the next two months, converting to a fully-branded Walgreens store on Friday, February 28, 2020. The store’s last day of business as a Rite Aid will be Sunday, February 23.
The store will be closed for the week beginning Monday, February 24 but the Walgreens Pharmacy will remain open, said Walgreens corporate media relations manager Alexandra Brown.
The store will reopen on Friday, February 28 as a Walgreens store.
This Rite Aid has had a Walgreens Pharmacy since Walgreens assumed ownership of the entire store in February 2018. The pharmacy changed then to a Walgreens Pharmacy but the rest of the store has remained a Rite Aid.
A major purchase of 1,932 Rite Aid stores by Walgreens Boots Alliance took place in early 2018 primarily in the Northeastern and southern parts of the United States. Around 100 Rite Aids in West Virginia became Walgreens. Individual Rite Aid stores have been converted to the Walgreens brand products and services in phases over time.
Store changes
Brown said the Berkeley Springs store will have a Walgreens interior and exterior design, new store and pharmacy operating systems, new products including Walgreens-owned brand products and Hallmark greeting cards. Interior and exterior signage will change. Most stores will also offer photo services.
“Although this process will involve some changes to the store’s pharmacy system, there should not be any interruption to patients’ experiences with the pharmacy team they know and trust,” Brown said. “Most customers will not experience any changes to their prescription price or coverage.”
Brown noted that once the conversion is complete, patients will be able to access more of Walgreens health care and pharmacy services like online and mobile prescription tools and 24/7 access to pharmacy staff and more than 9,500 Walgreens pharmacies nationwide.
Customers will also have access to FedEx shipping and pick-up and the Walgreens customer loyalty program Balance Rewards where points can be earned for purchases.
Brown said that Balanced Rewards provides customers “with promotional pricing, personalized discounts, paperless coupons and points for making healthy choices.”
After creating a Walgreens account, points can be earned for prescription, vaccinations, beauty and everyday shopping items along with accumulating points for bonuses, special promotions and AARP exclusive offers.
Plenti discount card
Walgreens doesn’t participate in the Plenti discount card rewards program that Rite Aid has. Customers can continue to use their wellness+ cards with Plenti points and earn and redeem points until the full conversion to Walgreens is completed, Brown said. Afterwards they can enroll in the Walgreens Balance Rewards program and earn points toward future purchases.
