Supermarket operator Kroger Co. and pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said Aug. 19 that they will expand their experimental store format to Knoxville, Tenn., starting this fall.
The partnership builds on a store format pilot that rolled out at 13 Walgreens stores in northern Kentucky in October 2018, and in December 2018, they announced more features in the same area.
In the newest release, the companies will add the Kroger Express grocery section to 35 Walgreens stores and offer Walgreens' private-label health and beauty products in 17 Kroger supermarkets. Most of the Walgreens pilot locations also will allow customers to pick up Kroger grocery orders.
"Walgreens customers have responded very favorably to the Kroger Express pilot in [northern] Kentucky. As a result, we're exploring more ways to offer customers an enhanced, more convenient shopping experience," said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations.
The retailers added that the Knoxville initiative will enable them to further assess customer response and gain insights as part of their "test-and-learn approach."
