Dow Jones Newswires | Walgreen Co. is consolidating all its
pharmacy and wellness services under one division as it announced an
executive in health services was leaving.
The realignment comes as Walgreen completes a major store remodeling
project, dubbed Customer Centric Retailing, which intends to make
stores easier to shop with lower shelf heights and less inventory.
The company also said that Stanley B. Blaylock, senior vice president
and president of the health-services division, will leave the company
next month. Blaylock was a co-founder and chief executive of Medmark
Specialty Pharmacy Solutions before it was acquired by Walgreen in
2006.
A traditionally conservative company, Walgreen has
posted weaker results in recent months than its largest competitor, CVS
Caremark Corp., which has moved more quickly to adopt innovative ideas
such as loyalty-card programs and in-store cosmetic departments. As
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. have enticed shoppers with less
expensive prescription drugs, pharmacy chains have looked to upgrade
their food and general-merchandise offerings to drive sales.
Walgreen shares closed Friday at $35.24 and weren’t active premarket.
Who wrote this article? Walgreens has sold cosmetics for years, this is not new, nor is it something CVS has been quick to adopt. Their loyalty card is not new either, and it’s not something Walgreens has been looking to adopt.
I read somewhere that not only is Walgreens is planning to sell liquor again in some stores, but they too, are considering a card plan like CVS and Jewel stores.
Also Walgreen has been selling cosmetics before CVS stores set up shops in other states.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also. Keep working ,great job!