Walgreens reports 6.8% Oct. sales increase

DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens posted October sales of $5.16 billion, an increase of 6.8% over $4.83 billion in October 2007. Comparable-store sales rose 2%.

Calendar shifts negatively impacted total comparable-store sales by 0.5 percentage points, comparable-pharmacy sales by 0.7 percentage points and prescriptions filled in comparable stores by 0.7 percentage points.

Walgreens opened 71 stores during October, including seven relocations, and acquired one store. At Oct. 31, the company operated 7,035 locations in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, including 6,544 drugstores, 600 more than a year ago.