While Walgreens resisted following CVS Health’s move to nix tobacco sales in order to underscore its move to a healthcare focus, even when shareholders urged it to, the drugstore retailer is now slowly de-emphasizing those sales.
On a conference call Thursday morning, executives said that plans are in place to shutter about 8% of its U.K. store base, citing a difficult environment there. But overall the quarter was “slightly ahead of our expectations,” they also said, and reiterated guidance for the year. Tariffs might hurt more than previously expected, executives also said.
