Walgreens generates October sales of $6.4 billion with a 5.8% same-store sales lift

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday posted October sales of $6.4 billion, an increase of 6.1%. Sales in comparable stores increased by 5.8% in October. 

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 5.7% in October and increased 6.2% on a calendar day-shift adjusted basis. This year’s October had one additional Thursday and one fewer Monday compared with October 2012. These calendar shifts negatively impacted prescriptions filled at comparable stores by 50 basis points.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores also were positively impacted by 110 basis points due to more flu shots versus last year and were negatively impacted by 20 basis points due to lower incidence of flu in this year’s October.

October pharmacy sales increased by 7.8%, while comparable store pharmacy sales increased 7.9% and increased by a calendar day-shift adjusted 8.4%. Calendar day-shift adjusted comparable store pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 100 basis points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months, and were positively impacted by 70 basis points due to more flu shots versus last year. Pharmacy sales accounted for 65.5% of total sales for the month.

Flu shots administered at pharmacies and clinics season to date were more than 4.9 million versus nearly 3.6 million last year.

Total front-end sales increased 3.5% compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable store front-end sales increased 2.3%. Customer traffic in comparable stores increased 0.6% while basket size increased 1.7%.

Calendar 2013 sales to date were $60.5 billion, an increase of 4.3%.

Fiscal 2014 year-to-date sales for the first two months were $12.3 billion, up 7%.

Walgreens opened 14 stores during October, including four relocations, and closed two.