DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walgreens mobile app, already one of the most popular retailer apps in the marketplace with tens of millions of users nationwide, has garnered a particularly robust following among older Americans -- a demographic rarely associated with mobile app adoption.
Walgreens data show more than 20 percent of its app users are age 55 and older, more than twice the percentage of industry averages. According to a 2017 survey by Forrester Research, Inc., just 9 percent of all smartphone owners who use shopping apps at least weekly are 55 and older.* Walgreens credits its mobile pharmacy features, such as Pill Reminder and Refill by Scan, for much of its app popularity among older Americans. In fact, 37 percent of those utilizing its mobile pharmacy tools are 55 plus. By comparison, Forrester data show that only 10 percent of smartphone owners who use health and wellness apps at least weekly are in the 55 plus category.*
“One of the things we repeatedly hear is that customers really value their connections with individual pharmacists and staff,” said Mindy Heintskill, Walgreens divisional vice president, loyalty. “We wanted to replicate that connection digitally, so customers can get a high-value, personalized experience even when they can’t make it into a store. We created Pharmacy Chat, which enables customers to have access to trusted experts through our site or mobile app anytime of the day or night, wherever they are. We’ve also seen opportunities for tools like individual pill reminders and prescription alerts to help our customers simplify their daily lives.”
Walgreens has made a number of feature enhancements within the app, aimed at better meeting the needs and interests of older adult users. These include:
- Support of TouchID and secure auto-login, addressing a key obstacle for users who struggle to remember or locate user credentials, a greater challenge for less frequent users of such apps
- Simplified menus, also welcomed by infrequent mobile app users unfamiliar with conventions that become familiar with use
- A pill reminder feature helpful to older adults and seniors who are more likely to have multiple daily dosages to manage
- Support for smartphones that offer font size options for apps
- Balance Rewards for healthy choices® that gives users shopper loyalty points if they use the app to track walking, cycling, weight management, blood pressure and more
The mobile app category with the highest proportion of weekly users 55 and over is news/media, at 16 percent, according to Forrester.*
“You know you’ve got a differentiator in the marketplace with this kind of traction,” Heintskill said. “With consumer expectations rising, we continue to put customer needs at the center of everything we do. The fact that more than 20 percent of our app users are in the 55 plus age group is a testament to the extensive research and consumer testing our team conducts to develop the most customer-centric tools for our users. We innovate based on our customers’ needs—not just for the fun of it.”
* Forrester, Consumer Technographics North American Online Benchmark Survey (Part1), 2017
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.