Walgreens July sales climb 6.1% to $6.4 billion

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday reported July sales of $6.4 billion, an increase of 6.1% compared to the same month in fiscal 2013.

 

Total front-end sales increased 1.4% in July compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable store front-end sales increased 1.1%. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 2.6% while basket size increased 3.7%.

 

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 3.7% in July and increased 4.3% on a calendar day-shift adjusted basis. July 2014 had one additional Thursday and one fewer Monday compared with July 2013. These calendar shifts negatively impacted prescriptions filled at comparable stores by 60 basis points.

 

July pharmacy sales increased by 9.5%. Comparable store pharmacy sales increased 7.6% and increased by a calendar day-shift adjusted 8.2%. Calendar day-shift adjusted comparable store pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 170 basis points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months. Pharmacy sales accounted for 66.5% of total sales for the month.

 

Sales in comparable stores increased by 5.2% in July. Calendar day shifts negatively impacted total comparable sales by 40 basis points. Generic drug introductions in the last 12 months negatively impacted total comparable sales by 110 basis points.

 

Calendar 2014 year-to-date sales for the first seven months were $44.5 billion, an increase of 5.9%.

 

Fiscal 2014 year-to-date sales for the first 11 months were $70 billion, an increase of 6%.

 

Walgreens opened eight stores during July, including one relocation, and closed 30. Nearly all of the July store closings were part of the company’s previously announced efforts to optimize its asset base by closing a total of 76 drug stores.