The American pharmacy chain founded in 1901 in Chicago by Charles Walgreen is Walgreens.
Charles Rudolph Walgreen purchased a small Chicago store in 1901 and operated it as a pharmacy. The location stood at the corner of Bowen and Cottage Grove Avenues, where Walgreen had previously worked as a pharmacist. He gradually expanded the business across Chicago’s South Side.
By 1916, Walgreen owned nine drugstores and incorporated the company as Walgreen Co. The chain became known for combining pharmacy services with convenience retail, including groceries, cosmetics, lunch counters, and later photo services. Its malted milkshake, introduced in 1922, became an especially famous part of Walgreens’ early retail culture.
The name can cause confusion because the company has used several forms over time, including Walgreen Drug Co. and Walgreen’s. The modern trade name is Walgreens. It is also distinct from Duane Reade, a New York pharmacy chain that Walgreens acquired in 2010.