Walgreen Co.

In a recent interview, Walgreens’ CEO Greg Wasson spoke at length about the ways in which the drug store chain is evolving. I thought the interview (posted online under the title Walgreens gets a modern makeover), was fascinating, particularly where Wasson explained the company’s bold plans to “reimagine” its stores.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is rebranding more than 370 former Take Care in-store health clinics as Healthcare Clinics. The national rebranding effort is already in process and expected to be complete by the end of August. Rebranding includes a new web page, walgreens.com/clinic.

Deerfield, Ill. – Walgreens posted gains in sales and earnings during its fiscal third quarter 2013, but still came in below the expectations of Wall Street analysts. Earnings rose 16% to $624 million from $537 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2012. However, excluding certain items, analysts had expected earnings of close to 30 cents a share higher for the quarter.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens cited a challenging economy and low front-end comparable store sales for its weaker than expected third quarter results. 

The company has therefore initiated a three-point plan to boost front-end performance as the company shifts its Balance Rewards customer-acquisition focus into second gear with a greater emphasis on redemption and rewards. 

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — K2 Sourcing has added former Walgreens purchasing and e-sourcing executive Dan Carlson to its e-sourcing team. 

Carlson will be charged with helping to parse the company’s e-procurement applications and professional procurement services to its clients.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens and solar developer SoCore Energy, Chicago, announced on Wednesday that they will build more than 200 new solar installations at Walgreens stores throughout California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

This latest initiative will bring the number of completed solar installations at Walgreens stores to more than 350, making the company the leading retailer in number of solar powered stores.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and Chicago-based solar developer SoCore Energy plan to build more than 200 new solar installations at Walgreens stores throughout California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

This latest expansion will bring the number of completed solar installations at Walgreens stores to more than 350, making the company the leading retailer in number of solar powered stores.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens will pay $80 million as part of a settlement with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) over a failure to report unusually large shipments of prescription painkillers from a distribution center in Jupiter, Fla. Six Walgreens pharmacies in Florida received tens of thousands of orders for regulated painkillers that were up three times the normal size, but the distribution center did not report them to the DEA as they were required to by law.