Case Study: Walgreens accelerates its app ecosystem and launches new services with Apigee

Walgreens Putting an API Around Their Stores

Walgreens, the largest drugstore chain in the United States, sought to expand its customer interactions by moving beyond its own successful mobile apps. The challenge was to leverage mobile trends and mitigate internal business problems by fostering a broad ecosystem of third-party applications. To achieve this, they needed to deliver an open API that would allow developers to easily integrate with Walgreens' unique services.

The company selected Apigee as its API platform provider to build its developer program. Using Apigee, Walgreens launched its QuickPrints API, enabling third-party apps to offer photo printing at its stores, and later a Prescription API for refills. This solution allowed Walgreens to grow its app ecosystem by 20x, rapidly onboard partners, and leverage external innovation to quickly launch new products. The success was measurable, boosting the rating of their flagship iPhone app from 4.1 to 4.5 stars and earning them numerous industry awards for their mobile experience.

Walgreens

Joe Rago

Senior Product Manager