Would a 'Well Experience' Walgreens in Del Ray Change Your Mind?

Walgreens opened a new “Well Experience” store Thursday at the corner of 7th and H streets NW in the District, according to DCist.

The store boasts many amenities that make it stand out from a regular Walgreens store, according to the report, including:

• "A nail bar offering professional manicures"
• "Expert eyebrow shaping and grooming services"
• "Self-serve frozen yogurt dispensers and toppings for unlimited options"
• "A juice and smoothie bar"
• "An Upmarket Café offering a barista preparing fresh brewed premium coffee and espressos"
• "Walgreens’ new, virtually-enhanced pharmacy"

Would your opinion about Walgreens’ plans to open a store in the 1500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue change if the company planned a “Well Experience” store for the location?

That question posed on the Del Ray Patch Facebook page sparked more than 30 comments. Here’s a sampling of the answers:

Glenn Eugster: “Mount Vernon Ave. is a shopping experience now with a steady swell of new and improved businesses within the scale of the area. I'm not sure a corporate store, with low paying jobs, which takes money out of the city, is a good way to regenerate 'main street.' The duplication of existing services plus the reduction of others would make me feel as if we are turning Mt. Vernon Ave. into a suburban variation of Duke Street.”

Lauren Wilson: “I think all those services are great, but most of them are already provided on the avenue. I would like to see more competition/variety of those services offered by this new fangled Walgreens brought to us by local, independent businesses instead.”

Leslie Duss: “If they weren't pushing out the excellent Potomac West and Not Too Shabby stores, the laundromat and the electronics store, and a convenience store, then maybe. But we also already have CVS and Neighborhood Pharmacy. So, it's not something we need AT ALL.”

Luis E Aparicio: I like Walgreens, and although I get my prescriptions at the Neighborhood Pharmacy, the hours are very limited and because of insurance coverage I often find myself having to drive to Shoppers Food Warehouse for many prescriptions. As far as "jobs" most of the businesses along The Avenue are eateries, restaurants and coffee shops, hardly top paying jobs. We [used] to have a 'card' store but it didn't last long. Given the choice of CVS and Walgreens, I'll take the [latter] any day.”

Melissa Bagster-Collins: “After reading about the Experience Walgreens I am even more opposed to a store like that coming to Mt. Vernon Ave. The local businesses do not need this type of competition.”

Matt Humphrey: “I would love to see the reactions if a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's was coming. ‘Noooo! We can already buy expensive crackers and pasta at Cheestique and Market to Market! And Giant is just a block down the street!’” 

[If only there was a sarcasm font for Matt]

Sidney Siewert: “I think that competition would be good for some of the businesses on Mt Vernon Ave. For God's sake, they already charge more. You would think they would want to continue improving their businesses so we, the consumer, would want to return. I'll shop at a small business whenever I can, but I'm not going to inconvenience myself if I can get a substantially better deal/experience at a chain.”

Katie Collins Briscoe: “I think it's about having a sense of place. Yes there are chains already and we shop at them, but the more chains that come in, the more we look like every other community in the country.”

For what it’s worth, DCist says the new, fancy Walgreens on H Street is still, well, a Walgreens.

Would your opinion about Walgreens in Del Ray change if the company planned a “Well Experience” store? Tell us in the comments.

For more on Walgreens' plans to open in Del Ray, see: 

• Walgreens in Del Ray: 'I Don't Think Anything is Going to Stop This'
• Mayor Euille to Encourage Walgreens 'to Look Elsewhere'
• Letter to the Editor: DRCA President on Walgreens
• Poll: Walgreens on Mount Vernon Avenue