Delivery is a big issue for all retail companies, specially when operating online, specially when trying to be efficient in that part of the process called “the last mile”; the “mile” covering the distance between the last logistic premises (local shop or distribution center) and the customer’s home.

This is not an easy task to execute efficiency without an initial big investment, as main players as Amazon know when trying to fulfill it considering all kinds of ideas, from dedicated small sites filled with lockers to using drones. This is why we considered the collaboration between Walgreen and TaskRabbit was a good idea to provide any product in the right place, to the right people at the right time.

Last winter, the US pharmacy chain  Walgreens teamed up with marketplace for outsourcing errands TaskRabbit to deliver cold and flu medication to sick people during Flu Season (according to Gallup, early January to late February is the most common time of year for people to catch a cold). From Jan 7th until Feb 18th people who live in one of the 19 cities TaskRabbit services could use the app to get their cold remedies from Walgreens delivered directly to their door.

The service worked including a slice of the wheel in Taskrabbit app dedicated to ordering cold and flu remedies from Walgreens. Users had to simply tap the Walgreens’ slice, select the nearest Walgreens store, enter the products needed, indicate a preferred delivery time and then choosing somebody available to take care of the task.

This partnership has been considered for some experts as something more of a promotional and PR campaign in nature than a proper innovative service, as TaskRabbit users have long had the ability to request a pharmacy pick-up and delivery. True or not, for us is a pioneer example of the kind of collaboration that’s going to be increasingly needed by companies willing to tap into the crowd to solve a specific need in a cost-effective way.

Walgreens Taps TaskRabbit to Deliver Cold Medicine to Shut-Ins