Walgreens checks in with Foursquare on mobile coupon program

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday announced the availability of an exclusive new offering for customers that check in at any Walgreens store nationwide through Foursquare.

The drug store chain said customers that check in via Foursquare instantly will receive a unique scannable coupon via their smartphone, which is redeemable in the store and does not require texting, reply or other steps.

 

“We’re using mobile technology and social media to better engage Walgreens customers, to give them convenient channels to interact with us and to deliver products, services and savings they truly value,” stated Sona Chawla, Walgreens president of e-commerce. “Foursquare shares our commitment to innovation and together we’ve developed some unique, breakthrough offerings that cater to today’s tech-savvy consumers.  With this program, it’s just check in and the coupon is displayed instantly.”

 

The first coupon offering, available now through March 10, is for 50% off all varieties of AriZona Iced Tea cans.

 

"Walgreens has been an innovative partner on the Foursquare platform and this is a perfect opportunity to test our new functionality," stated Eric Friedman, director of business development for Foursquare. "We are excited that Walgreens is the first to test unique codes in a Foursquare Special, providing a seamless experience for customers."

 

Walgreens first introduced mobile coupons through its mobile applications in November. One of the largest retail mobile coupon offering in the United States was launched on “Black Friday,” with point-of-sale scanning available at all of Walgreens locations. The mobile initiative helped generate more than 500,000 downloads of Walgreens' mobile application in December, the pharmacy operator reported.