Recently, reports have shown that the American chain pharmacy Walgreens and Bozi (WBA) have finalized an agreement to be acquired and privatized by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $10 billion. At present, the transaction has received unanimous approval from the board of directors of WoBolian and is awaiting approval from shareholders and necessary regulatory agencies. It is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025. After the transaction is completed, the common stock of WoBolian will be delisted from NASDAQ, and the company will also transform into a private enterprise.

 

 

 

It is understood that WBA was formed by the merger of Walgreens in the United States and Alliance Boots in Europe in 2014. As of August last year, Walgreens had approximately 8500 stores in the United States and 3700 stores overseas.

 

 

 

Industry analysis believes that the main reason for WBA's sale this time is its own strategic mistake, including the failure to respond in a timely manner when facing online shocks; And the vigorous development of VillageMD clinic business has not formed a special advantage, but has instead hindered the company's progress.

 

 

 

Affected by the failure of strategic transformation, Walgreens' business situation in recent years has not been optimistic. The net loss for fiscal year 2024 was $8.636 billion, compared to a net loss of $3.08 billion in the previous fiscal year. The first financial report of 2025 shows that the revenue for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 was 39.459 billion US dollars, compared to 36.707 billion US dollars in the same period last year, a year-on-year increase of 7.50%. But the net loss for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 was $605 million, compared to a net loss of $278 million in the same period last year, an increase of 117.63% year-on-year.

 

 

 

The outcome and rise and fall of the sale of WBA this time is not only a major event in the global pharmaceutical retail industry, but also brings profound inspiration to the Chinese pharmacy industry. In recent years, the domestic pharmacy industry has also undergone a dramatic change from a surge in the number of stores to a continuous increase in closure rates. A large number of small and medium-sized chain pharmacies and new stores have closed, and large chain pharmacies have also begun to "shrink" their fronts.

 

 

 

Analysts say that in the face of fierce homogeneous competition, pharmacies need to accelerate the exploration of new profit models, through supply chain advantages, differentiated operations, and diversified product structures, such as opening up "pharmacy+doctor consultations" or "pharmacy+health products" models. At the same time, pharmacies need to focus more on optimizing the operation of existing stores, shifting from "scale competition" to "quality competition".

 

 

 

In addition, we need to pay more attention to online layout. The application scope of "food delivery, medicine purchase, and medical insurance brushing" is becoming increasingly wide, and it is likely to cover the whole country in the future. Therefore, in terms of online layout, pharmacy enterprises need to cultivate the habit of "data operation", while strengthening investment in electronic prescriptions, drug traceability, online medical insurance, instant delivery, and other aspects to enhance the compliance and competitiveness of pharmacies online.

 

 

 

Overall, the reshuffling of the domestic pharmacy industry is still accelerating. In the future, pharmacies need to accelerate their transformation pace, innovate their business models, and meet the diversified needs of consumers in order to stand out in the fierce market competition and usher in broader prospects.