WALGREENS TAKES $ 1.7B HIT BECAUSE OF PANDEMIC

The coronavirus pandemic pushed Walgreens to a $ 1.7 billion loss it the most recent quarter with customers staying home or limiting shopping to essential supplies from grocery stores. The drugstore chain said Thursday that the rapidly spreading virus took a bite of between $ 700 million and $ 750 million from sales, with much of the damage coming from outside the USA. Walgreens furloughed more than 16,000 employees in the United Kingdom. April foot traffic plunged 85%.