Running Head: Walgreen Co. Organization Resources
Walgreen Co. Organization Resources
Walgreen Co. Organization Resources
Walgreens Co. is the largest drugstore chain in the United States in terms of sales, receiving most of its revenue from retail prescriptions. These drugstores sell prescription and non-prescription drugs, and general merchandise. Its general merchandise consists of beauty care, personal care, household items, candy, photofinishing, greeting cards, seasonal items, convenience food and Walgreens offers an old-fashioned tonic for fiscal fitness. While Walgreen has fewer stores than its closest rival CVS, it is #1 in the nation in sales (Hoover's Inc, 2007). Walgreens operates about 6,000 stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and has three mail order facilities. Walgreen usually builds rather than buys stores, so it can pick prime locations (Hoover's Inc, 2007). Most of their stores are freestanding locations with a few outlets in mall and mini-malls. Throughout this paper I would describe Walgreens physical assets and technology and determine whether or not the organization has optimized its organizational resources for effectiveness and efficiency.
In 1901 Charles R. Walgreens Sr. purchased the Chicago drugstore he had been working in as a pharmacist. A second store was bought in 1909 and by 1915, there were five Walgreens drugstore. By 1916, there were four additional stores that were bought, all on Chicago’s South Side. The stores were consolidated as Walgreen Co. with the aim of assuring economies of scale (Walgreens History, 2004). In 1919 there were 20 Walgreens stores established with one of the new store being located near the north side of Chicago. The firs ...