Deal Alert: Walgreens New Online Circular Ad and $5 Coupon! Sneak Peek at Sunday’s Ad! #newWAGcirc #cbias

“This is the most dramatic refresh we’ve made to the weekly ad in more than two decades, delivering added value for our growing numbers of online and mobile customers, as well as a better experience for those who look forward to seeing it in print,” said Joe Magnacca, Walgreens president of daily living products and solutions. “We’re giving people more convenient ways to shop and save, and this complements our multi-channel strategy by finding new and different ways to cater to today’s consumers.”

I’m an avid Walgreens bargain shopper.  At the height of my addiction  bargain-hunting days, I was there every Sunday morning to score the major deals.  Our family has had some “downturns” like everyone else in the last few years and my couponing zeal is usually proportional to the income crunch we are feeling at the time.  But I always check ads before I shop.  I try to pick up things we use all the time when they are on sale and keep a “stockpile” of a max of any one thing.

Did you know about coupon “stacking”.  “Stacking” means using more than one coupon per item.  Because you can stack manufacturer AND Walgreens coupons, there are truly great final prices.  And because Walgreens sells such a great selection of products, from food to shampoo, you can find a variety of items at those great prices.  I love the commercial running right now that points out how small Walgreens is, but packed with everything you seem to need.  You can pick up all the items on your list without walking miles and miles.

But, as every couponer knows, it takes work to save money.  There is coupon clipping, sorting, organizing and then matching to store ads.  It takes time.  Even using coupon blogs and websites, you need to plan your shopping, make your lists, sort your coupons.

Walgreens is making saving money on sale items and getting coupon discounts easier for us!  With their new online ad:

• If you sign up for the weekly ad via email, it will come as a “sneak peek”.  Instead of waiting until Sunday morning, it will be delivered on Friday!
• Coupons are grouped together by category on easy-to-find pages.
• Sale items are featured more prominently throughout.
• Hundreds of Bonus Buys – only seen online.
• “QR codes,” enable mobile users to quickly view more deals directly from a smartphone.
•  Customers can also visit category-specific Walgreens websites highlighted in the ad or find additional bonus buys inside stores.
• There are social sharing buttons – I’m always wanting to tell my mom about a great deal, this makes it easy!

Signup for the ad via email is available online at www.walgreens.com/sneakpeek or in stores. Those who register will receive a $5 coupon.

And Walgreens hasn’t forgotten those few people (are there really any?) who don’t have computers.  “For our loyal customers who don’t use computers or the Internet, all of the items we feature online each week will also be specially-marked in our stores.”, Magnacca said.

I was given a sneak peek at this Sunday’s Walgreens ad, so I could share it with you.  I found the ad to be clear and easy to read.  The graphics of “pages turning” makes you feel like you are reading a paper circular!  But the search function reminds of the benefits of digital :)

You can customize how you see the ad - this is a two page "spread" option.

This is the single page viewing option.

When you hover over an item in the ad, you get the option for a "Quick Look".

When you click on the "Quick Look", this is what opens.

One thing I didn’t like was that in the single page viewing option, I had to “scroll down” on every page.  It would be easier if the pages were the same length as an average screen view and you could just turn pages without having to click or scroll every page.  Also, the QR codes took me to a screen that said “not available at this time” but maybe that will be active on Sunday.

Here are some of the great deals I saw that start this Sunday, 2/12, but make sure you check it out for yourself and see what matches up with your shopping list.

Campbell's Soup in the Walgreen's Ad

Combine great Walgreens Bonus Buy with Printable Coupon at Coupons.com. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Final Price: Â 4 cans = $6 - $1 = $5 or $1.25 each.

I was posting last week about delicious Bertolli foods – here is a great deal, perfect for winter days!

By stacking these two coupons, you can get Mitchum deoderant for only 99 cents!

Walgreens Coupon for Mitchum Deoderant

$1.99 with Walgreens coupon - $1 Manufacturer coupon - 99 cents! Note, even though this coupon says "Available at Walmart", that is an ad and the coupon can be used anywhere.

The selection at Walgreens and the variety of products fit into a don’t-have-to-walk-a-mile store, keep me coming back.  The sales ad reflects that as well, there are great prices in every product category.  From the quality of the products, ads, sales to the quality of the excellent staff keep me coming back.  I got to know the staff when I was coming back every Sunday during my mega bargain hunting days.  They are always efficient and kind.  I remember one Sunday, I must have gone before I had my morning coffee.  I got home after shopping and… no purse.  You know that sinking feeling.  Your stomach just drops.  I searched everywhere, no purse.  Trying not to drive like a maniac, I went back to the store.  I’d left it sitting on a counter and one of the employees had put it safely in the back waiting for me to realize I’d lost in and come back.  Whew.  When I think of what they could have done, or if they hadn’t seen it.  I offered the girl a small reward and would you believe it?  She turned it down and looked at me quizzically and said, “But that’s my job”.  Not everyone would have done that.  I’m very grateful!

Here’s my shopping list for Sunday.  This is pretty standard for what I would pick up on a usual day.  Some food items, some personal care, o-t-c medicine and something for Rosie.  I printed my coupons and I’m ready to roll!

What's on your list?

What did you think of the Walgreens new online circular ad?  

Was it easy to read?  

What’s on your shopping list?

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,830 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.

Disclosure of Material Connection: All opinions are my own, unless otherwise stated.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias