After a successful pilot in the US, FedEx and Walgreens have announced that they are to join in on a ‘long term alliance agreement’ that will offer access to FedEx drop-off and pickup services at thousands of the pharmacy’s stores across the US from later this year.

“After an initial, small-scale rollout this spring, Walgreens and FedEx expect to have the program available at thousands of Walgreens locations later this calendar year and chainwide at nearly 8,000 Walgreens stores by the fall of 2018,” said FedEx, in a statement issued today (11 January).

Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president, chief marketing and communications officer, FedEx, said: “Walgreens, with its strong focus on customer care, is the perfect retailer to help us continue to meet the growing demand for convenient, secure dropoff and pickup options, and our research has shown that customers rank pharmacies as a preferred location for accessing their e-commerce shipments.

“The addition of Walgreens locations to the existing network of FedEx retail offerings will substantially increase customer access to staffed pickup and dropoff locations and enhance convenient access to FedEx Ground and FedEx Express package shipment and dropoff options. We look forward to offering these capabilities to customers, and continuing to meet their e-commerce shipping needs with these flexible options.”

The move to partnerships with store chains is a new worldwide phenomenon for delivery companies around the world. While the UK is effectively privatising its Post Office network using this system, the USPS recently backed away from it amidst effective union opposition. FedEx is a public company however and is following rivals such as DHL in doing the same.

 
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