Walgreen Company (WAG) April Front-End Comps Rise 8.2%

Walgreen Company (NYSE: WAG) April sales of $6.49 billion, an increase of 8.8 percent from $5.96 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.

Total front-end sales increased 8.8 percent in April compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable store front-end sales increased 8.2 percent. Customer traffic in comparable stores increased 2.6 percent while basket size increased 5.6 percent. These results benefitted from a later Easter this year, which fell on April 20 compared with March 31 last year.

For the combined March/April period that includes the Easter holiday season impact, comparable store front-end sales increased by 2.1 percent, while customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 0.9 percent and basket size increased 3.0 percent.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 3.5 percent in April and increased 4.3 percent on a calendar day-shift adjusted basis. April 2014 had one additional Wednesday and one fewer Monday compared with April 2013. These calendar shifts negatively impacted prescriptions filled at comparable stores by 0.8 percentage point.

April pharmacy sales increased by 9.2 percent. Comparable store pharmacy sales increased 7.3 percent and increased by a calendar day-shift adjusted 8.1 percent. Calendar day shifts negatively impacted pharmacy sales in comparable stores by 0.8 percentage point. Calendar day-shift adjusted comparable store pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 1.3 percentage points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months. Pharmacy sales accounted for 64.5 percent of total sales for the month.

Sales in comparable stores increased by 7.6 percent in April. Calendar day shifts negatively impacted total comparable sales by 0.5 percentage point. Generic drug introductions in the last 12 months negatively impacted total comparable sales by 0.8 percentage point.

Sales for the combined months of March and April 2014 increased 6.6 percent from the same two months in 2013. Comparable store sales for the March/April period increased 5.5 percent.

Calendar 2014 year-to-date sales for the first four months were $25.36 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent from $24.05 billion in 2013.

Fiscal 2014 year-to-date sales for the first eight months were $50.88 billion, an increase of 5.8 percent from $48.08 billion in fiscal 2013.

Walgreens opened eight stores during April, including two relocations, acquired six and closed two.

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