Walgreens Store Opening Anchorage

Some regular readers my wonder if they are on the wrong blog.  But part of what I'm doing here is chronicling what happens in Anchorage - as I live it.  Last Wednesday I happened to be at Northern Lights and Seward Highway just as Walgreens was having its grand opening.

I was underwhelmed, in a very comfortable way.  This wasn't a super glitzy, high tech, over the top event.  This reminded me more of the US in the 1950s and early 60s. ("The 60's" in some ways is misleading - the first part was more like the Fifties.)

Flags, balloons, hot dogs, a brass band, Shriners, a drawing and a raffle, flowers, and they even had the recently won Kelly Cup.  People were happy, enjoying the hoopla and the sun.

Didn't know there was another Sea Wolves

A lot of businesses today seem bent on squeezing every penny out of their customers.  Hidden costs on cell phones, penalty fees at banks and credit cards, baggage fees at airlines seem to tell the customer - we've got you by the balls and there's nothing you can do about it.  Sure, there are smaller local businesses where the owners know your name and give you freebies now and then because they like you and appreciate your business. 

But I don't expect that any more from national corporations.  But Bruce Phillips, the regional rep for Alaska and 'half of Seattle' I think he said, sounded genuinely excited about the store opening and I felt he really had worked hard with his new store staff to make this store friendly to the neighborhood.  It could all be a good show based on marketing studies, but I don't think so.  I think it was genuine.  I had the sense that Walgreens gave him enough freedom to do what he wanted with this store opening and he was feeling good about the store and his staff and his work.  

Oh yes, my sound card ran out of memory just before they brought out the giant ceremonial check for $2500 for the Diabetes Association. 

You can watch the video and judge for yourself.