Walgreens: a short history

Walgreens, America's largest chain of pharmacies, traces its roots back to 1901, when Charles R Walgreen bought out his employer and set up under his own name in Chicago's prosperous South Side. He became a registered pharmacist, mixing and packaging his own drugs to ensure their quality and affordability. He embraced the soda fountain craze, producing drinks and ice creams in summer, and teamed up with his wife to produce soups and sandwiches in winter.

By 1925 Walgreen had more than 65 stores and had expanded to Milwaukee, St Louis and Minneapolis. He took the company public two years later, and at the time of the Great Depression Walgreens had more than 500 stores from New York to Florida. It countered the economic downturn by selling own-brand products, advertising on radio – and by selling bootleg whisky. After Walgreen's death in 1939 the business passed to his son. By 1975 sales surpassed $1bn (£639m), and the 1,000th Walgreens store opened in 1984. A series of acquisitions followed, but until now have been restricted to the US and Puerto Rico. Walgreens amassed $72bn in sales last year. Juliette Garside