As the largest retailer in the world, it’s only natural to wonder just how many stores Walmart owns and operates outside of its own discount stores, hypermarkets, and grocery stores.
And, since their names are so similar, you might want to know: does Walmart own Walgreens? Here’s everything I uncovered from my research.
Does Walmart Own Walgreens?
Walmart does not own Walgreens as both Walmart and Walgreens operate independently of each other. Walmart is owned by the Walton family and public shareholders, while Walgreens is owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance, which also owns the drug store, Duane Reade.
So, who exactly does own Walgreens, and what similar services do the retail giants both offer? Here’s all you need to know!
Who Owns Walgreens?
Walgreens was founded in 1901 by Charles Rudolph Walgreen. However, unlike Walmart, the company has not stayed in the family.
In 2009, Kevin Walgreen, who was the last remaining member of the Walgreen family still in the business, stepped down from his position as senior vice president of store operations for the southern region.
Now, after an acquisition by AmerisourceBergen at the start of 2021, this American drug wholesale corporation owns the majority share of Walgreens.
These days, Walgreens is also part of a larger holding company known as the Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Is Walgreens As Big As Walmart?
Walmart remains the largest retailer in the world, with around 10,526 stores and clubs in 24 countries, many of which operate under different names.
Meanwhile, Walgreens itself has just over 9,000 stores across all 50 US states.
However, the wider Walgreens Boots Alliance has a much larger presence than just Walgreens alone.
The company operates more than 21,000 stores in 11 countries, making it the 11th biggest global retailer.
What Similar Services Do Walmart And Walgreens Offer?
Walgreens is, primarily, a pharmaceutical retailer, and Walmart’s is discount goods and groceries.
While Walmart has had in-store pharmacies since 1978, it has never proved to be a particularly troublesome competitor for Walgreens.
However, Walmart has more recently started expanding its range of healthcare services and provisions.
In 2019, Walmart launched Walmart Health, which is “committed to making healthcare more affordable and accessible for customers.”
Walmart also offers a $4 deal for a 30-day supply of many generic medications and a $10 deal for 90-day supplies. Such deals make its pharmacy services far more attractive to consumers.
As such, Walmart is now a bigger player in the world of healthcare. Still, Walgreens retains a much larger market share than Walmart does.
So, in spite of Walmart’s similar pharmaceutical and healthcare services, Walgreens continues to reign supreme in that sector.
What Companies Does Walmart Own?
While Walmart does not own Walgreens, the company does own thousands of other stores and chains, both in the US and in more than 20 countries beyond.
As of 2020, one of the retailer’s biggest subsidiaries is Jet.com, which was acquired for $3.3 billion in 2016. Other companies owned by Walmart include:
- ShoeBuy
- Parcel
- Bonobos
- Moosejaw
- (see the full list of companies owned by Walmart here)
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on whether or not Dollar General is owned by Walmart, and also if Target is owned by Walmart.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that they have similar names and offer some similar services, Walmart does not own Walgreens. After a recent acquisition, the pharmaceutical chain is now majority-owned by AmerisourceBergen, a US drug wholesale company.
Walmart does, however, own several other chains and companies in several different countries. As such, it is the biggest retailer in the world, with the Walgreens Boots Alliance not far behind as the 11th biggest global retailer.
