Walgreens

In recent years, Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) stock has done little more than fight to survive. The Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based pharmacy chain has long struggled against its peers and has failed at multiple attempts to sell itself to a competitor. This resulted in shareholders approving a 1-20 reverse stock split in April to avoid delisting. However, this did little to stem the tide.Source: Shutterstock The company temporarily boosted optimism when it joined the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivery network. However, excitement over the deal quickly faded. Plus, a change in the CEO position has failed to stem the drop in the RAD stock price. Without a deeper partnership with Amazon, I see little reason to buy Rite Aid stock. Amazon Deal Brought Only Temporary ReliefThe Amazon deal initially sparked hope as it would increase foot traffic into Rite Aid stores. There's some logic to this argument. As our own Will Ashworth argues, the Amazon return program at Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) led to a 9% rise in foot traffic and an 8% revenue increase in stores which supported the return program. But will that be enough?InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsI think some also hope this will lead to an Amazon purchase of Rite Aid itself. Such optimism has brought disappointment before. An attempt by Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) to take over the company led instead to the sale of 1,932 Rite Aid stores to the pharmacy chain. Albertsons also tried to buy Rite Aid. This proposed union also fell through after RAD shareholders balked. * 10 Marijuana Stocks That Could See 100% Gains, If Not More Moreover, the Amazon deal failed to cure the ills of Rite Aid stock. Within a month, RAD stock had fallen to levels it saw before the Amazon announcement. Also, the recent ascendancy of Heyward Donigan to the CEO position has not stemmed the decline. Rite Aid Can No Longer CompeteAs a result, the RAD stock price now stands at about $5.60 per share. Certainly, Amazon and online sales have changed the dynamics of the pharmacy business for Rite Aid and its peers. Standalone pharmacies have long dealt with competition from both grocers and major retailers.Now with the threat of online competitors, margins feel more pressure than ever. This probably explains some of the reasons why CVS (NYSE:CVS) entered the insurance business and built in-house clinics.Rite Aid cannot follow suit. Just as the company needs to make significant changes to survive, RAD finds itself with both falling revenue and profits. Unfortunately, as a $300 million company with $6.4 billion in long-term debt, it has no financial room for such a pivot.Put simply, RAD stock has become the Sears Holdings (OTCMKTS:SHLDQ) or the JCPenney (NYSE:JCP) of pharmacies. Rite Aid has evolved into the type of business that consumers do not need in today's world.The fact that its typical customer is over 55 and earns under $40,000 per year does not bode well for its future. Moreover, competition forces it to sell what it does offer at thin margins. Unless and until Amazon or another major online retailer can make Rite Aid relevant, I see a dim future for RAD stock. The Bottom Line on RAD StockOnly a deeper partnership with Amazon can save Rite Aid. The changing retail pharmacy landscape has fundamentally changed Rite Aid's business. Unlike Walgreens and CVS, it lacks the necessary resources to improve its business and remain relevant. Debts remain too high, and numerous suitors have passed on what remains of Rite Aid.If results at Kohl's serve as an indication, Rite Aid stores will see more foot traffic and revenue. However, this does not change the fact that consumers can find anything Rite Aid offers elsewhere and probably at a lower price.If Amazon took over the stores entirely, perhaps the company could still play a significant role in today's pharmacy business. Barring that scenario, the time has come to think of Rite Aid stock as the next Sears.As of this writing, Will Healy did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. You can follow Will on Twitter at @HealyWriting. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks That Could See 100% Gains, If Not More * 11 Stocks Under $10 to Buy Now * 6 China Stocks to Buy on the Dip The post Rite Aid Stock Continues to Fade into Irrelevance Despite Amazon appeared first on InvestorPlace. […]

Teeth-straightening startup SmileDirectClub Inc. has filed to go public. The Nashville-based company is looking to raise $100 million in its public offering, according to an S-1 the company filed last week. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “SDC,” and J.P. Morgan and Citigroup are the lead underwriters on the deal. SmileDirectClub ships clear aligners directly to customers, whose progress is monitored remotely by licensed dentists or orthodontists. […]

PerkSpot, a Chicago-based startup that makes an HR tech platform, recently expanded its River North office as it gears up to nearly double its staff in the coming months. […]

The Kroger and Walgreens partnership is expanding this fall with more Kroger Express locations.Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com Kroger (NYSE:KR) and Walgreens (NASDAQ:WBA) are going to expand the pilot of Kroger Express to include locations in Knoxville, Tenn. This expansion will have 35 Walgreens stores in the area begin carrying Kroger's Our Brands products.According to a news release detailing the expanding Kroger and Walgreens partnership, many of these stores will offer roughly 2,700 products from Kroger. However, there will be some locations with a more limited selection of 2,300 goods.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe types of products that customers will be able to find at Walgreens stores through Kroger Express will range greatly. This includes meat, produce, dairy, frozen foods, Home Chef meal options and more.The Kroger and Walgreens partnership also includes other benefits for customers to take advantage of. Among these is the option for Kroger Pickup at locations that support Kroger Express. This allows customers to order products ahead of time and simply pick them up at the store.Another part of the Kroger and Walgreens partnership includes the latter's products starting to show up in the former's stores. This will have 17 Kroger locations carrying a curated selection of products from Walgreens. * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill "Walgreens customers have responded very favorably to the Kroger Express pilot in Northern Kentucky," Richard Ashworth, President of Operations at Walgreens, said in a statement. "As a result, we're exploring more ways to offer customers an enhanced, more convenient shopping experience."KR stock was up 1% and WBA stock was up slightly as of Wednesday afternoon. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill * 8 Biotech Stocks to Watch After the Q2 Earnings Season * 7 Unusual, Growth-Oriented REITs to Buy for Your Portfolio As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.The post Kroger Express: Kroger and Walgreens Partnership to Expand This Fall appeared first on InvestorPlace. […]

Despite its occasional short-term spikes, Blue Apron (NYSE:APRN) stock continues its trend downward. So far, new food offerings, changes in management, and a reverse stock split have failed to rescue Blue Apron stock.Demographic, lifestyle, and technology trends have helped drive demand for meal kits. As a result, one can understand the emergence of Blue Apron. However, unless APRN can find a way to stand out from its peers, any move higher by Blue Apron stock will amount to little more than selling opportunities.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Blue Apron Stock Continues to DeclineNothing seems to change for Blue Apron stock. The shares' continuous overall declines have sometimes been interrupted by temporary rebounds. Thus far, APRN has suffered a 1-15 reverse stock split in June, as well as a decline of nearly 96% from its split-adjusted IPO price of $150 per share.APRN's decision to bring in a new CEO made investors optimistic about Blue Apron stock for a short time. However, that rally quickly faded. By the way, Blue Apron also hired a new CEO in 2017. * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill APRN stock also gained temporary traction when the company added products from Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) to its menu. Again, that gain quickly faded. Such behavior appears to show that every move higher by APRN stock seems to be a great time to sell the shares. Blue Apron Does Not Stand Out in the Meal-Kit BusinessThat said, investors should not confuse my criticism of APRN stock with pessimism about meal kits in general. The meal-kit market grew by 36% in under a year. InvestorPlace columnist Josh Enomoto mentioned that millennials love eating out but hate driving. As a result, by enabling consumers to order meal kits through an app, APRN has supposedly created a powerful, positive catalyst for APRN stock.However, there is a great deal of competition within the meal-kit sector, and this goes far beyond the emergence of HelloFresh, which incidentally has partnered with Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA). Larger, deep-pocketed grocers such as Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Kroger (NYSE:KR), have also entered the meal-kit business. Also, as InvestorPlace contributor Luke Lango points out, meal kits' growth could slow to the single-digit-percentage range by 2023 if estimates by Packaged Facts prove correct.Unfortunately for APRN stock bulls, nothing about Blue Apron differentiates it from any other meal-kit provider out there. And let's be honest, any halfway-motivated culinary school graduate (and some non-graduates) could develop such kits and package them. The only thing narrower than the moat for Blue Apron stock is the company's opportunity for a recovery. APRN's Financials Paint a Bleak PictureAny serious look at the company's financials confirms its challenges. Bulls may point to the 54.3% reduction in the company's per-share losses that analysts, on average, forecast for this year. However, if APRN does meet that estimate, Blue Apron will lose $4.32 per share this year instead of the $9.45 per share of losses it sustained last year.Moreover, its losses only shrunk this year because it cut its spending on marketing. These spending cuts will probably help lower its 2019 revenue to analysts' average estimate of $473.31 million. Blue Apron's top line cam in at $667.6 million in 2018.As things stand now, Wall Street analysts expect the company to continue to lose money through at least 2023. However, Blue Apron stock will fall to $0 long before that time unless Blue Apron changes its course quickly. Perhaps the company can find a way to increase revenues despite its lower marketing spending. Also, Blue Apron could attract more business by finding a large partner like Walgreens. Still, unless something changes, APRNs results will likely continue to worsen. The Bottom Line on Blue Apron StockSo far, every short-lived rally by APRN stock has proven to have been a great time to sell the shares. Blue Apron stock's lack of traction may appear strange, as it remains a well-known name in a growing industry. Meal kits should continue to grow in popularity for the foreseeable future. However, nothing is proprietary about Blue Apron's approach. Consequently, players large and small have entered this business, leaving APRN without any apparent competitive advantage.Thus far, cutting marketing spending to save money has only led to lower revenues for APRN. It is not too late for a new, unique offering or a key alliance with a larger player to rescue APRN stock. Still, as things stand now, APRN stock has produced feasting for shorts and famine for longs.Unless the company makes significant changes soon, investors with bullish positions in Blue Apron stock could be forced to get their meal kits from a soup kitchen instead of from APRN.As of this writing, Will Healy did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. You can follow Will on Twitter at @HealyWriting. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill * 8 Biotech Stocks to Watch After the Q2 Earnings Season * 7 Unusual, Growth-Oriented REITs to Buy for Your Portfolio The post Blue Apron Stock Continues to Leave Investors Famished appeared first on InvestorPlace. […]