DEERFIELD, Ill. — Select Walgreens stores around the country will recognize the chain’s African-American vendor partners next month as part of the company’s Community Corner program, which showcases products from minority-owned businesses.
Walgreen Co. said Monday that the initiative, now in its second year, will run in February during Black History Month. The program is designed to enable Walgreens customers to easily identify products from diverse vendors through displays, in-store signage and announcements, national print and radio ads, in-store product demonstrations and a new Community Corner sticker that will be placed on each featured item.
Over a dozen products from African American-owned businesses will be featured in more than 2,500 Walgreens drug stores during February, and the products will be available for up to 50% off the regular price at Walgreens.com/cc, according to the retailer.
Vendors being highlighted in Community Corner include Anika Labs, Bronner Brothers, Danielle Ashley Communications, Firstline Manufacturing Corp., Gallery Guichard, Hightime Products, Johnson Products, Luster Products, Namaste Laboratories, Nicene Brands LLC, Popcorn and More Inc., Professional Products Unlimited Inc., Reggios Pizza, Summit Laboratories, The Crutcher Marketing Group and The Pepsom Group. Also being featured are six African American-owned magazines: Black Enterprise, Ebony, Heart & Soul, Sister2Sister, The Source and Upscale.
In its initial year, Community Corner also launched awareness campaigns and promotions supporting products from women-owned businesses during National Women’s History Month in May and products from Hispanic businesses during Hispanic Heritage Month in October. Overall, Walgreens said, the program drove a 12% sales increase among featured items and garnered recognition and support from national community and economic development organizations.
Walgreens added that during this year it plans to expand the program to feature products from businesses owned by Native Americans, Asian-Americans, veterans and other categories of diverse suppliers.
"We are thrilled with Community Corner’s first-year results," Gleatha Glispie, director of supplier diversity at Walgreens, said in a statement. "But frankly, we are not surprised by the initial success. We serve a very diverse, savvy customer base who wants to support businesses that have a positive impact on communities. We’ve received a tremendous amount of good feedback, and we’re building on that momentum as we look forward to again driving stronger awareness, trial and loyalty for even more brands this year."
