Walgreens is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, and photo services. Walgreens was founded by Charles R. Walgreen in Chicago, IL in 1901 at which time their stores were connected to local groceries. In 2009 Walgreens changed their layouts to be freestanding corner stores, with the entrance on the street with the most traffic flow, with many stores featuring a drive-through pharmacy. In 2014 Walgreens became a subsidiary of holding company Walgreens Boots Alliance when it merged with Switzerland-based Alliance Boots. As of December 2023, Walgreens operates approximately 13,500 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, with over 8,600 retail pharmacies located in the U.S..
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., (NASDAQ: WBA) is a British-American holding company that owns the retail pharmacy chains Walgreens in the US and Boots in the UK, as well as several pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies. WBA employs more than 325,000 people and has a presence through its portfolio of consumer brands: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, Benavides in Mexico, and Ahumada in Chile. In 2023, the company’s market cap was over $22.51B and its revenue was $142.40B. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., has a credit rating of Moody's/S&P Baa2/BBB- and is headquartered in Deerfield IL.