DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreens has rolled out Balance Rewards, a comprehensive loyalty program that will offer customers ways to save, earn points and get rewarded for purchases, services and healthy behaviors.
The digital and mobile technology of Balance Rewards offers multichannel access to join the program online at www.walgreens.com/balance or with a mobile device through the Walgreens mobile app.
The drug store retailer said that customers can begin online enrollment. The full loyalty program will launch in all Walgreens and Duane Reade stores across the country starting September 16.
"We are initially opening enrollment in one of the most important programs in Walgreens history through online and mobile technology as a testament to the company's legacy of innovation," said Graham Atkinson, Walgreens senior vice president and chief experience officer. "The Balance Rewards program and its features build upon our efforts to give customers easy, multichannel access to health and daily living needs."
During the online enrollment period, September 6 to September 15, customers who join Balance Rewards will have a chance to enter into the Walgreens 10 Million Point Giveaway. Customers can earn additional entries into the sweepstakes by referring friends and family to the program. For each friend or family member referral who joins Balance Rewards, a customer earns an additional entry into the 10 Million Point Giveaway. Within five days of the end of the sweepstakes, the company will select 10 grand prize winners from the entry pool to receive 1 million points.
"Online enrollment for Balance Rewards is another step in our commitment to help our customers get, stay and live well," said Atkinson. "We hope the 10 Million Point Giveaway will not only encourage our customers to join Balance Rewards, but also share the unique combination of features of this loyalty program with their friends and family."
A key component to the online enrollment period is the release of the new Balance Rewards mobile card as part of the Walgreens mobile app. The Walgreens mobile app is available for free and offers several major benefits specific to Balance Rewards:
- Ease: Members can scan their mobile devices right at the register to earn points and savings and redeem awards without carrying around a plastic card.
- Access: Participants can review all purchases and points activity and special member savings through the Walgreens app any time or place within their mobile network service area. Customers will have access to all the features of the Balance Rewards mobile card beginning on September 16, when the full program launches nationally.
In addition to the launch of Balance Rewards, Walgreens has recently announced other innovative mobile app features including:
- Print from Facebook: This feature allows users to select photos from Facebook albums to print, and pick up at any local Walgreens in about an hour.
- PrintWorthy: Users can now create and print a PrintWorthy card using a photo from Facebook albums with likes and comments.
- In Store Maps: Customers can use the shopping list feature to map and locate items in any Walgreens store nationwide, down to a particular section of an aisle. Walgreens is the first national retailer with all of its stores mapped in a mobile application.
- QuickPrints: This popular feature is now available for iPad users allowing more mobile users to print photos directly from their mobile devices or even Facebook to any of the Walgreens stores nationwide in about an hour.
As part of the nation's largest drugstore chain, Balance Rewards has the potential to be the largest consumer loyalty program in the country, the company said.
With fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion, Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens provides nearly six million customers with access to consumer goods and services and pharmacy, health and wellness services. The company operates 7,929 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
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