Walgreen Sees 8.8% Increase in April Sales, Shares Respond

On Monday, Walgreen Co. WAG reported that April 2014 sales hit $6.49 billion, up 8.8 percent from $5.96 billion in April 2013. Summary of April Sales

• Total front-end stores grew 8.8 percent compared with the same month last year. Comparable store front-end sales grew 8.2 percent.
• Comparable store customer traffic and basket size increased 2.6 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively, benefitting from the later Easter. Including the Easter impact for March and April, front-end sales grew 2.1 percent and basket size increased 3 percent.
• April pharmacy sales grew 9.2 percent. Comparable store pharmacy sales grew 7.3 percent and increased by a calendar day-shift adjusted 8.1 percent.
• Prescriptions filled increased 3.5 percent in April, or 4.3 percent on a calendar day-shift adjusted basis.
• Year-to-date Calendar 2014 sales for the first 4 months increased 5.4 percent to $25.36 billion from 2013.
• Fiscal year-to-date sales for the first 8 months increased 5.8 percent to $48.08 billion from 2013.
• The company opened eight stores in April. Walgreens relocated two stores, acquired six and closed two. As of April 30, the company operated 8,699 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Shares of Walgreen closed at $68.86 on Friday and are currently up 1.438 percent at $69.85.