Web posted
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Walgreens officially opens its doors
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
Dorothy Dickson wanted to get prints of digital photos she had taken of her iris garden. So she stopped by Walgreens this morning.
"I had heard that it might be open today," Dickson said.
The store at Summit Street and Radio Lane did open at 9 a.m. and Dickson was its first customer.
Store manager Rachelle Tagg took her to a photo kiosk and walked her through the steps of getting prints of some images on her camera's memory card.
Tagg and fellow employees worked a lot of hours the past couple of weeks putting up shelves and stocking them, she said today.
Before that, new employees went through job training at other Walgreen stores in Ponca City and Derby.
On Wednesday evening, the new Walgreens store held an open house for about 40 people including local doctors, said Tagg, who moved to Cowley County from Wichita where she managed another Walgreens.
"We've had a really good response to town," she said. "Everybody's excited."
Besides digital photo processing, the store can take and process passport photos, Tagg said.
It has a drive-up window for prescription pick-up on the east side of the store.
Inside, the store has a pharmacy and many every-day items including basic grocery items such as milk, bread, eggs and snacks.
Store hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Pharmacy hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The pharmacy is closed Sunday.
Managers of two other drug stores in town said the Walgreens opening should not have a big effect on their businesses.
"It's certainly not going to close us up," said Fred Taylor, owner of Taylor Drug. "We do a lot of our business out of town; we're diversified."
Graves Drug Store manager Dawn Bowman said Graves offers "down-home, friendly service" that a Walgreen's can't provide. It has many loyal Ark City customers.
"We've been around a long, long time and I don't think you can replace our atmosphere and friendliness," Bowman said.
|
