Walgreens opens in Bethesda

The first Walgreens in Bethesda opened yesterday at the Bradley Shopping Center in downtown Bethesda. Interestingly, the timing was coordinated with the closure of the Walgreens-owned Rite Aid at the Westwood Shopping Center Friday evening. Rite Aid pharmacy customers are apparently assumed to now take their prescriptions to this Walgreens, where the pharmacy counter is the main focus of the small space.

Last Thursday I noticed the shelves had been stocked. An Apple Store-style security barrier was also installed inside the front entrance. It not only prevents smash and grab burglars from gaining access to the store, but also blurs out all detail on product packaging that can be seen through the front windows.

Now that the store is opened, we can finally see what products will be stocked in the tiny store, which is a new neighborhood store format Walgreens is rolling out nationwide this year. Surprisingly, they do carry some food, raising hopes that this store might stock new Walgreens-exclusive Pringles flavors in the future.

Besides snacks, there is a decent inventory of over the counter medications, toiletries, medical supplies, etc. You're likely to find whatever basic drug store items you need here, without having to play Frogger to cross the street to CVS. However, the store shares the rural town hours of the other businesses in the Bradley Shopping Center, where things wind down by 8:00 PM most nights, so don't cut up your CVS bonus card just yet.