Dive Brief:

• New data released today by Walgreen Co. shows that more than 20% of the drugstore chain's app users are 55 years or older, according to a press release made available to Mobile Marketer. This percentage is more than 2x the industry average, per a 2017 Forrester Research survey that found that this age group makes up just 9% of smartphone owners who use shopping apps every week.
• The pharmacy chain with nearly 8,200 stores also said that of those using its mobile pharmacy tools, 37% are 55 years or older, whereas data from Forrester show that just 10% of smartphone owners who use wellness apps weekly are in this age group.
• Over the past few years, the drugstore behemoth sought to boost its mobile app accessibility through features like TouchID auto-login, font size options, a scanner tool for refilling prescriptions and a portal where customers can contact pharmacy staff 24/7 via a smartphone.

Dive Insight:

Walgreens was an early leader in mobile marketing and continues to roll out features to boost its mobile pharmacy capabilities and app accessibility, with many of these appealing to the senior demographic that’s rarely associated with mobile technology adoption. The underlying connection between these updates, including mobile pay, pill reminders and alerts when customers are likely running low on a prescription, is that they aim to simplify consumers’ lives. The TouchID auto-login eliminates friction that stems from users forgetting passwords, an added challenge for businesses whose apps aren’t used as frequently as those for email or social media.

The efforts by Walgreens demonstrate a shift toward tailoring marketing strategies to attract the large aging population of Baby Boomers. Clearly, it’s working, as the data show that Walgreens boasts a much higher than average number of older users on its mobile app.

As consumer expectations continue to rise, the pressure is on for brands to innovate based on customers’ unique needs and behaviors. The key for many, according to research by Ascend2, is personalization. Walgreens’ Pharmacy Chat lets customers directly reach pharmacy staff day or night with questions about medications via desktop or smartphone. This personalized interaction helps to boost long-term engagement and loyalty, as well as differentiating the major drugstore chain from top competitor CVS, which currently doesn’t have a live chat feature.