Walgreens opens 7,000th store in Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn NY - It had all the hallmarks of a festive Coney Island experience, from men on stilts to hot dogs to cholesterol screenings. On October 1, the 7,000th Walgreens store opened here, down the street from neighbors such as Rasputin’s, a local restaurant and nightclub. Situated on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue W in an eclectic neighborhood, the new store serves a clientele that is a mix of Russian, Hispanic, and other ethnic groups. The store is a welcome retail addition to the area, located on a spot that was long ago a lumberyard and more recently a vacant lot, according to store manager Shawn Goberdham and pharmacy manager Christine Russo, RPh. Drug Topics attended the opening.

The festivities included speakers such as Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson, Market Vice President Jeffrey Koziel, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Golden, and Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz. The AARP/Walgreens wellness tour bus offered free health screenings, which included cholesterol screening (total cholesterol), bone-density screening, and measures of glucose levels, waist circumference, and body mass index. Flu and pneumonia shots were provided at the event as well.

Walgreens donated $7,000 to Lenny’s Lighthouse, a charity that provides support to people with disabilities. The charity was represented at the event by board adviser Duncan Whiteside.

The retailer says that it expects to open at least 24 more stores in the New York area within the next few years, according to a release sent out prior to the event. The company reported fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion.