Walgreens sales fall 2.1% in October

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens on Monday reported October sales of $6 billion, down 2.1% compared with October 2011. The results include the brunt of the impact from Hurricane Sandy — at the peak of the storm, approximately 750 of 1,400 stores in the impacted area were closed, Walgreens said. Nearly all of those locations have since reopened.



Total same-store sales were down 5.9%.



The chain also announced that its new Balance Rewards loyalty program, which has been available for only six weeks, has signed more than 28 million customers through Oct. 31.