Walgreen Co.

Walgreens Boot Alliance will be looking to fill some big shoes, as Thomas Sabatino Jr., executive VP, global chief legal and administrative officer, will be leaving the company to join Hertz Global Holdings effective Feb.9.

Sabatino will join Hertz Global Holdings as senior executive VP, chief administrative officer and general counsel.

Sabatino will remain in his current role with Walgreens Boots Alliance through the end of January to ensure a smooth transition of his current responsibilities.

New York -- Teen retailers had a “less dreadful” holiday selling season than was anticipated. That’s how analysts are tempering the news that banners such as American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale and Urban Outfitters posted stronger-than-expected holiday results, released by most on Thursday.

In fact, say industry watchers, the strong sales figures look pretty shiny because they are exaggerated by pre-season low expectations, which were dragged down by fears of aggressive discounting and waning mall traffic.

By Ulf Mattsson, Protegrity

Washington, D.C. -- Adam Brothman,  chief digital officer of Starbucks, Melissa Reiff, president and COO of The Container Store, Rick Caruso, founder and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, and Greg Buzek, co-founder of the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) and president of IHL Goup are among the 25 individuals recognized by the NRF Foundation on its “The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.”

They are disruptors, dreamers, givers, influencers and power players. The National Retail Federation Foundation has announced its inaugural list of the 25 people shaping retail’s future, and many of the names might be unfamiliar.

Deerfield, Ill. - At a special meeting of shareholders held Monday, Walgreens shareholders voted to approve all proposals related to the company’s acquisition of the remaining 55% of Alliance Boots GmbH that it does not currently own and the reorganization of the company into a holding company structure.  

Walgreens is poised to start 2015 off with a bang, as the company has nearly finalized its mega-deal with Alliance Boots.

Walgreens shareholders voted to approve all proposals related to the company’s acquisition of the remaining 55% of Alliance Boots that it does not currently own and the reorganization of the company into a holding company structure.

Deerfield, Ill. – Cost synergies from its ongoing merger with U.K. drugstore chain Alliance Boots GmBH helped boost net earnings at Walgreen Co. 16% to $809 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from $695 million the same quarter a year earlier. The combined synergies for Walgreens and Alliance Boots in the first quarter were approximately $140 million and remain on track to reach at least $650 million in fiscal 2015.

Sales rose 7% to $19.6 billion from $18.33 billion. Same-store sales increased 5.7%.

A search is underway for a new CEO at Walgreens following the resignation of president and CEO Greg Wasson as the retailer moves toward creation of a new holding company ownership structure and complete its largest ever acquisition.

Walgreens said stronger sales from established stores helped it trump analyst expectations for the first quarter, even as the company's acquisition of European retailer Alliance Boots remains on track to close this month.

Walgreens reported a 16.4% lift in quarterly profit to $809 million that was credited to the 222 million prescriptions filled for the first quarter ended Nov. 30.