Beer Back on the Shelves at Walgreen

Looking for a boost in sales and market share, the Walgreen chain of drug stores has ended a 15-year ban on sales of beer and wine — a segment of business that once netted the company 10 percent of its revenues.

The Wall Street Journal reported June 3 that Walgreen was once one of the country’s biggest liquor sellers, and now has plans to return to the market and stock alcohol in about 5,000 stores this year. The company also plans to apply for liquor licenses in states like Alabama and Georgia, where it had not sold alcohol before.

Rivals CVS and Rite Aid sell alcohol in many of their stores.

Walgreen officials said that its stores will not sell fortified wines, hard liquor, or 40-ounce beers.