Walgreens' annual report is attractive. It's in full color, full of pictures, and I would definitely pick it up and take a look... at least at the beginning. The first 18 pages are prose and pictures, more of a narrative explanation and collection of everything Walgreens did in 2009.
Then come the numbers... from page 19 to page 42. While investors are (okay, maybe) interested in these details, let's just say I skimmed over them... but I did notice that after each section filled with charts and spreadsheets, there is a narrative passage summarizing what the numbers represent.
The goal of the annual report is to appeal to each audience that may be reading it. There are numbers for those who think in Excel spreadsheets, explanations for those who need some help drawing conclusions, and pictures for people who prefer to see success visually and in color! They definitely see this as an opportunity to showcase their achievements and highlight their goals. Walgreens m
entions the new markets they entered in the past year, how they're caring for the community, including employees with disabilities at work, and serving their customers above and beyond the year before. The annual report resembles a newsletter because it's visually pleasing and (at least the beginning part) features easy-to-read feature-like stories.Letter to Shareholders:
The letter to shareholders is found at the beginning of the annual report and it's signed by two company officials-- the President/CEO, and the Chairman of the Board.
The main message of this letter is to let shareholders know that even through tough economic times, Walgreens will emerge as strong and successful as ever. 2009 was a good year for the company, opening its 7,000th store, focusing energy into "Affordable Essentials" in their stores (rather than focusing on new discretionary items), and introducing "Customer Centric Retailing" which features merchandise displayed in groups of complimentary items (to provide a more convenient and efficient shopping experience).
As an investor, I'd feel confident in Walgreens surviving another year, and being successful doing that. The letter also says how the company wants to return any surplus ca$h to the shareholders, so I'd be excited about that, but also because it means the company realizes the value of my share and wants to repay me for helping them out too. They also thank their employees in the letter, which seems a little out of place in the shareholder letter, but employees could be shareholders too so this is important.
The letter is certainly credible and features numbers, charts, graphs, and photographs. Using several methods of proof and giving various examples makes me believe what they're writing. The tone of the letter is confident. Walgreens truly believes they're doing a great job, and will continue to grow by implementing new strategies and ideas. The company wants shareholders to know that they're not going anywhere.
Latest News Release:
"Walgreens September Sales Increase 5.3 Percent"
This news release, from the first week in October, is reader-friendly, in that it doesn't include jargon. However, as it's a sales report, it's full of numerals, which makes it hard to read nonetheless.
The CEO is not quoted here, but rather, the president of pharmacy services. (Sidenote, his name is Kermit.)
The letter to shareholders is found at the beginning of the annual report and it's signed by two company officials-- the President/CEO, and the Chairman of the Board.
The main message of this letter is to let shareholders know that even through tough economic times, Walgreens will emerge as strong and successful as ever. 2009 was a good year for the company, opening its 7,000th store, focusing energy into "Affordable Essentials" in their stores (rather than focusing on new discretionary items), and introducing "Customer Centric Retailing" which features merchandise displayed in groups of complimentary items (to provide a more convenient and efficient shopping experience).
As an investor, I'd feel confident in Walgreens surviving another year, and being successful doing that. The letter also says how the company wants to return any surplus ca$h to the shareholders, so I'd be excited about that, but also because it means the company realizes the value of my share and wants to repay me for helping them out too. They also thank their employees in the letter, which seems a little out of place in the shareholder letter, but employees could be shareholders too so this is important.
The letter is certainly credible and features numbers, charts, graphs, and photographs. Using several methods of proof and giving various examples makes me believe what they're writing. The tone of the letter is confident. Walgreens truly believes they're doing a great job, and will continue to grow by implementing new strategies and ideas. The company wants shareholders to know that they're not going anywhere.
Latest News Release:
"Walgreens September Sales Increase 5.3 Percent"
This news release, from the first week in October, is reader-friendly, in that it doesn't include jargon. However, as it's a sales report, it's full of numerals, which makes it hard to read nonetheless.
The CEO is not quoted here, but rather, the president of pharmacy services. (Sidenote, his name is Kermit.)
His quote is factual, but a little lengthy, all about flu shots and how Walgreens has given out some but still has plenty of vaccinations available for the rest of the season. They handled their increase in earnings well, because they're careful not to brag, just in case misfortune strikes in the future. They're confident without being cocky. The news release was well-written and contained enough background information to help a first-time reader/ potential investor understand how the company is doing.
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