Walgreens - the Superpower

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Walgreens September Sales Increase 9.5 Percent;Opens 6,000th Store

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG) had September sales of $4,413,000,000, an increase of 9.5 percent from $4,031,527,000 for the same month in 2006. Sales in comparable stores (those open at least a year) rose 4.7 percent.

September pharmacy sales increased 8.8 percent, while comparable pharmacy sales increased 3.9 percent. Comparable pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 3.8 percentage points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months.Total prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 1.6 percent. Pharmacy sales accounted for 66.4 percent of total sales for the month.

Comparable store front-end sales increased 6.3 percent during September.

Calendar day shifts accounted for a negative impact of 1.6 percentage points on comparable pharmacy sales. Patients fill more prescriptions on weekdays compared to weekends, and this year’s September had one additional Sunday and one fewer Friday compared to September 2006.

Calendar year-to-date sales were $40,357,306,000, an increase of 11.9 percent from $36,056,997,000 in 2006.

Walgreens fiscal year began Sept. 1, so fiscal year-to-date sales are the same as the month’s sales.

Walgreens opened 18 stores during September, including two relocations, and acquired one store. The company opened its 6,000th store in New Orleans and will celebrate the grand opening in October.

At Sept. 30, Walgreens operated 6,014 drugstores (including 101 home care division locations, eight specialty pharmacies and three mail service facilities) in 48 states and Puerto Rico, versus 5,475 a year ago. Franchisees of Option Care, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens, are not included in Walgreens store count.

Please note: Monthly sales numbers are preliminary and unaudited. Comparable stores are defined as those locations open for at least 12 consecutive months without closure for seven or more consecutive days and without a major remodel or a natural disaster in the past 12 months. Relocated and acquired stores are not included as comparable stores for the first 12 months after the relocation or acquisition.