Walgreens, Amazon Place Opposing Bets on the Future of Retail Pharmacy [Video]

Walgreens is preparing to shutter 1,200 stores as Amazon Pharmacy gears up to launch in 20 new cities. The two retail giants are each promising customers a new pharmacy experience, but they have different ideas of what it should look like.

It’s been a tough year for Walgreens and its drugstore-chain competitors. On the company’s October 15 earnings call, Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth announced plans to close roughly 14 percent of locations over the next three years—adding to the hundreds of stores already slashed by each Rite Aid and CVS.

Amid this string of closures, some pharmacies are betting big on delivery. On October 9, Amazon Pharmacy shared that it would expand its footprint next year, making nearly half of U.S. customers eligible for same-day medication delivery by the end of 2025. Less than two weeks later, Walmart launched same-day prescription delivery in six states, an offering expected to reach 49 states by the end of January.

Rick …