Walgreens (WAG) Comps Rose 4.5% in November

Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) had November sales of $6.36 billion, an increase of 4.9 percent from $6.06 billion for the same month in fiscal 2014.

Total front-end sales increased 1.3 percent compared with the same month in fiscal 2014, while comparable store front-end sales increased 0.8 percent. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 3.3 percent while basket size increased 4.1 percent.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 2.6 percent in November and increased 4.6 percent on a calendar day-shift adjusted basis. This year’s November had one additional Sunday and one fewer Friday compared with November 2013. These calendar shifts negatively impacted prescriptions filled at comparable stores by 2.0 percentage points. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores were positively impacted by 0.1 percentage point due to more flu shots versus last year.

November pharmacy sales increased by 7.6 percent, while comparable store pharmacy sales increased 6.7 percent and increased by a calendar day-shift adjusted 8.7 percent. Calendar day shifts negatively impacted pharmacy sales in comparable stores by 2.0 percentage points. Calendar day-shift adjusted comparable store pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 1.9 percentage points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months, and were positively impacted by 0.1 percentage point due to more flu shots versus last year. Pharmacy sales accounted for 65.2 percent of total sales for the month.

Flu shots administered at pharmacies and clinics season to date were nearly 7.0 million versus more than 6.1 million last year.

Sales in comparable stores increased by 4.5 percent in November. Calendar day shifts negatively impacted total comparable sales by 1.3 percentage points, while generic drug introductions in the last 12 months also negatively impacted total comparable sales by 1.3 percentage points.

Total sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, which ended Nov. 30, were $19.59 billion, up 6.8 percent from $18.34 billion in last year’s quarter. Comparable store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2015 increased 5.8 percent, while front-end comparable store sales for the quarter increased 1.5 percent. Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased 4.2 percent in the first quarter and comparable pharmacy sales increased 8.3 percent.

Calendar 2014 sales to date were $70.52 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent from $66.52 billion in 2013.

Walgreens opened 24 stores during November, including 12 relocations, and closed one.

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