Walgreens

Walgreens
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Walgreen Co. |
|
Type | Public |
Traded as | NYSE: WAG |
Industry | Retail
Pharmacy |
Founded | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. (1901 (1901)) |
Founder(s) | Charles R. Walgreen |
Headquarters | Deerfield, Illinois, U.S. |
Number of locations | 8,046 (August 2010)[1] |
Area served | United States |
Keypeople | Alan McNally
(Chairman)
Gregory Wasson
(President & CEO) |
Revenue | US$ 67.420 billion (FY 2010)[2] |
Operating income | US$ 3.458 billion (FY 2010)[2] |
Net income | US$ 2.091 billion (FY 2010)[2] |
Total assets | US$ 26.275 billion (FY 2010)[2] |
Total equity | US$ 14.400 billion (FY 2010)[2] |
Employees | 244,000 (August 2010)[1] |
Divisions | Walgreens Health ServicesWalgreens Health and Wellness |
Subsidiaries | Duane Reade |
Website | walgreens.com
walgreens.com/quickshop |
Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG), d/b/a Walgreens (without an apostrophe), is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of March 31st, the company operates 8,169 drugstores across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinoisin 1901, and has since expanded throughout the United States, Walgreens is currently headquartered in the nearby suburb of Deerfield, Illinois.
Contents[hide] * 1 Overview * 2 History * 2.1 Company history * 2.2 Recent expansion * 2.3 Contributions to popular culture * 3 Corporate affairs * 3.1 Headquarters * 4 Store model * 5 Disability Inclusion Initiative * 6Related ventures * 7 Environmental record * 8 Consumer record * 9 Current pilot programs * 10 See also * 11 References * 12 External links |
[edit] Overview
Walgreens provides access to consumer goods and services and pharmacy, health and wellness services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division.Walgreens Health Services offers pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems. Walgreens has7,600 drugstores as of September 30, 2010.[3]
[edit] History
[edit] Company history

A typical Walgreens Pharmacy.
The Walgreens chain began in 1901, with a drug store on the corner of Bowen Ave and Cottage Grove, Chicago, Illinois, United States owned by Galesburg native Charles R. Walgreen, Sr.[4] By 1913, there were five Walgreen drugstores. He added several improvements to the storessuch as soda fountains and luncheon service. He also began to make his own line of drug products and was then able to control the quality of the items and sell them at lower prices. By 1913, 12 stores were in operation, all in Chicago. And in that same year, all the stores were consolidated under Walgreen Co. The 1920s was a very successful decade for Walgreens. In 1923, the company opened storesoutside of residential areas and also introduced the malted milk shake in 1922. Walgreens also established its own ice cream manufacturing plants to match the demand for ice cream at that time. By the mid 1920s, there were about 44 stores with an annual sale of 1.2 million dollars. By this time, Walgreens had expanded into other states like Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota. By 1930, there were 397stores in 87 cities with annual sales of 4 million dollars. This expansion can be in part attributed to the collection of bootlegged alcohol, mainly whiskey, which Walgreen would often stock under the counter, as accounted in Daniel Okrent's Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.[5] The company did not really suffer from the Stock Market Crash and Great Depression. By 1934, Walgreens was...