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POSTED: Saturday, January 10, 2009
                       

This story has been corrected. See below.

Walgreens opens its Kalihi store on Saturday, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for Sunday.

               

     

 

KALIHI WALGREENS GRAND OPENING         » Size: 14,600 square feet         » Location: 1520 N. School St.         » Store manager: Robert Muniz         » Grand opening: Starts 8 a.m. Sunday, featuring Mountain Apple artists and a drawing for a trip to Las Vegas.         Source: Walgreens

The 14,600-square-foot store at the former Kamehameha Bowl site on North School Street is the third Walgreens store to open in Hawaii. It will be open 24 hours and offer a drive-through pharmacy.

Besides a Hawaiian blessing on Sunday, there will be live performances by Mountain Apple recording artists, autographs, beauty product samplings, and an in-store drawing for a trip to Las Vegas.

On Sunday morning, Walgreens will also present a commemorative plaque to the Oahu Bowling Association as a tribute to Kamehameha Bowl.

The Kalihi store follows the first store opening in Nov. 2007 at the former Tower Records location on Keeaumoku Street, and the Dec. 2008 opening of its second store at the former Star Market site at Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center.

Dana Psomas, Walgreens district manager, said the response from customers in the store's first year has been fantastic.

“;We'll keep moving forward with more store openings throughout the state,”; she said.

Walgreens, after a failed courtship to acquire Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Longs Drugs last year, expects to open between 25 to 30 stores in Hawaii.

Approximately 40 employees were hired for the Kalihi store, from management to pharmacists, photo specialists, beauty advisers and service clerks.

Walgreens Kalihi will have a Cafe W self-service beverage bar, along with 20,000 products and drive-through pharmacy.

Walgreens also plans to open three pharmacy-only sites on Maui this month, in addition to an existing location in Lahaina, while its Kailua store is expected to open in the first quarter of this year.

               

     

 

CORRECTION         This story originally contained an incorrect address for the new Walgreens in Kalihi. It is 1520 N. School St., not 520 N. School St.