Walgreens Boots Alliance

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Walgreens Boots Alliance


Walgreens Boots Alliance is an American holding company that owns Walgreens, Boots, and a number of pharmaceutical manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution companies. The company is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, in the United States.

History[edit | edit source]

The Walgreens Boots Alliance was formed on December 31, 2014, after Walgreens purchased the 55% stake in UK and Switzerland-based Alliance Boots that it did not already own. The deal was finalized on December 31, 2014, and in return, Alliance Boots received shares in the new company. The total transaction was valued at $4.9 billion, with the new Walgreens Boots Alliance becoming the third-largest retail pharmacy chain in the U.S.

Operations[edit | edit source]

The Walgreens Boots Alliance operates through three divisions: Retail Pharmacy USA (Walgreens), Retail Pharmacy International (Boots and other retail operations), and Pharmaceutical Wholesale (Alliance Healthcare). The company's portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Soap & Glory, Liz Earle, Botanics, Sleek MakeUP and YourGoodSkin.

Financials[edit | edit source]

As of 2020, Walgreens Boots Alliance is ranked #19 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue, with revenues of $139.537 billion.

Criticism and controversy[edit | edit source]

Walgreens Boots Alliance has faced criticism and legal action for various business practices, including alleged racial discrimination, overcharging customers, and insufficient response to the opioid crisis.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


External links[edit | edit source]


Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD