WALGREENS

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Thursday posted January sales of $5.9 billion, representing an increase of 11.3% from last year. Early morning trading of Walgreens stock was up 51 cents to $42.48.

Only 2.8 percentage points of that increase can be attributed to the acquisition of Duane Reade, the Deerfield, Ill.-based retailer stated. Total front-end sales increased 11.5% in January, and pharmacy sales increased 10.8%, accounting for 66.1% of total sales for the month.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — With the state of Colorado experiencing an increase in the number of reported whooping cough cases, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been encouraging vaccination to help increase immunity and stop the spread of the disease.

In response to this, Walgreens on Thursday announced that it now is offering immunizations that provide protection against pertussis (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis-Tdap vaccine) at all of its more than 150 stores throughout the state, every day, with no appointment necessary.

Hollywood, Fla. — The chain that wants to be the top retail destination for wellness has added another plank to its accessible care platform.


Walgreens has allied with the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation to launch a new partnership aimed at helping an estimated 200,000-plus Broward County, Fla., residents affected by diabetes. The new initiative, called Diabetes Research Institute Live Well Broward County, is a joint effort of the DRIF, Walgreens, LifeScan and South Florida physicians.


DEERFIELD, Ill. — A veteran of Walmart and Tesco, Walgreens VP merchandising Bryan Pugh brought a more analytical and customer-targeted approach to front-end merchandising. His oft-stated mission: to oversee, in coordination with the company’s Customer Centric Retailing initiative and other renewal efforts, a more cost-effective and more compelling merchandising strategy.


WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The next chapter for CVS Caremark officially is under way. The company last month officially named Larry Merlo CEO, effective March 1. Tom Ryan will remain nonexecutive chairman until his retirement in May. Prior to the news, Merlo had been president and COO.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday announced the implementation of its Walgreens Way to Well Commitment program, a new Walgreens initiative geared toward improving the everyday health of Americans nationwide.

To kick off the Way to Well Commitment, more than 7,600 Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics now are offering free blood pressure testing daily throughout February, an offering announced on “The Dr. Oz Show.”

NEW YORK — In recent years, Duane Reade has gone from simply being Manhattan’s homegrown pharmacy chain to a truly innovative retailer with unique product offerings and marketing concepts that even the biggest retailers can learn from. And there’s no doubt that Joe Magnacca has been instrumental in the chain’s turnaround.


SALT LAKE CITY — Identigene last month began placing its Identigene DNA paternity test kit on the shelves of New York-based Duane Reade pharmacies after meeting the more restrictive testing requirements for the state.