10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015

With shares of Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) trading around $10, is GRPN an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Groupon offers online retail services. The company provides daily deals on the stuff to do, eat, see, and buy in more than 500 markets in 44 countries. It provides an online service that lets groups of people create campaigns to pool resources, including money and personal commitments to take action, and it allows users to sell products and transact business online. Groupon is poised to see rising traffic as it provides consumers with ways to save on common shopping experiences and activities. Look for Groupon to continue to grow and provide consumers and businesses with new opportunities.

Groupon shares are trading up slightly as CEO Eric Lefkofsky says that the company is looking to buy at least three warehouses to support its direct e-commerce sales and fulfillment efforts. A Kentucky facility has already been singled out for acquisition while e-commerce sales have been ramping up. Though sales are increasing, Groupon�� margins have been sagging — Lefkofsky says that the warehouse purchases will help to expand them.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd (SAXJF)

Sa Sa International Holdings Limited is an investment holding company. The Company�� subsidiaries are principally engaged in the retailing and wholesaling of cosmetic products. Its business covers Hong Kong and Macau, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. The Company operates in two segments: retail segment, engaged in the operation of cosmetics specialty stores, which offer a variety of products from over 600 beauty brands, covering a wide of products from skin care, fragrance, make-up, body care and hair care to health foods, and brand management segment, engaged in the management of over 100 beauty brands. It also offers round-the-clock online shopping services along with product and corporate information through its e-commerce platform, sasa.com. The Company�� subsidiaries include Alibaster Management Limited, Base Sun Investment Limited, Cyber Colors Limited, Docile Company Limited and Elegance Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks swung between small gains and losses early Thursday after hitting a seven-month high in the previous session, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) down less than 0.1%. Most mainland Chinese property developers outperformed the markets, with Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. (HK:2777) (GZUHF) rallying 3.4%, after the company reported a 44% month-on-month jump in sales for June. Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. (HK:0813) (SIOPF) climbed 2.6%, and China Resources Land Ltd. (HK:1109) (CRBJF) rose 1.7%. However, several retailers were weak, as Want Want China Holdings Ltd. (HK:0151) (WWNTF) , the country's top food and beverage maker, declined 2%. Hong Kong-based cosmetics brand Sa Sa International Holdings (HK:0178) (SAXJF) fell 1.6%, with a decline in Chinese June non-manufacturing data helping weigh on some retailers. Over on the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) retreated 0.4%, pulling back from its highest close in two weeks.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Staples Inc.(SPLS)

Staples, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an office products company. The company offers various office supplies and services, office machines and related products, computers and related products, and office furniture under Staples, Quill, and other proprietary brands. It also provides copy and print services to retail and delivery customers, as well as technology services through its EasyTech business. The company sells and delivers office products and services directly to businesses and consumers through Internet retail, including Staples.com and Quill.com, as well as through contract sales force, direct mail catalog business, and retail stores. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 2,295 retail stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the United States; and 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada, as well as in Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, and Australia. The company also operated 124 distribution and fulfillment centers in 29 states in the United States; 7 provinces in Canada; and in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roland Head]

  Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  ) also missed expectations: The office supplies retailer reported a 4% fall in adjusted earnings per share to $0.26 and a 5% fall in sales to $5.8 billion. Staples confirmed its previous full-year adjusted earnings guidance of $1.30 to $1.35 per share, but its shares are down 1.7% in premarket trading.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Selling office supplies hasn't been a very smart business decision these days. Shares of Staples (SPLS) may have popped nearly 7 percent higher after the company posted a larger-than-expected profit a few days ago, but it's still in a bit of a funk. Quarterly sales fell for the seventh quarter in a row. Profitability improved, but largely on the closure of 127 underperforming stores, with another 43 or so to go before the year is over. Yes, fewer stores will naturally hold back overall sales growth, but it's important to point out that comparable-store sales at Staples in North America still fell a problematic 4 percent during the period. There's no "Easy" button to escape what the trend is telling investors. Business Before Pleasure This should be a great time for a superstore selling office supplies. The economy's improving. Unemployment rates are heading lower. Interest rates are low, making it easier for entrepreneurs to finance new ventures. The climate of the industry itself should also be faring well. Office Depot (ODP) completed the merger with OfficeMax, combining the industry's second- and third-largest players to give everybody else one fewer price-slashing competitor to worry about. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the cutthroat ways of Office Depot and OfficeMax holding Staples back. Amazon.com (AMZN) continues to become a retail juggernaut, and the popularity of speedy, reliable and cost-effective Prime deliveries to corporations of all sizes is on the rise. There's also the challenge of traditional big-box discount department store chains that are loading up on business essentials. Let's also not forget the telecommuting and contractor trends that translate into companies not having to stock as many supplies as they used to. Calling in Sick to Work Wall Street pros know that this isn't going to be a near-term turnaround. They see sales and earnings declining this holiday quarter relative to last year's showing. The

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for women, men, and children in the United States. It offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise. The company sells its products through various channels, including Nordstrom full-line stores, off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, Jeffrey? boutiques, treasure & bond, and Last Chance clearance stores; and its online store, nordstrom.com, as well as through catalog. Nordstrom also provides a private label card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The company?s credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of September 30, 2011, it operated 222 stores, including 117 full-line stores, 101 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 treasure & bond store, and 1 clearance store in 30 states. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  [Sears Canada is also] seeing or about to see a wave of fresh competition from Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target’s (TGT) recent northern expansions to Nordstrom’s (JWN) upcoming launch. The company still operates 24.8 million square feet of retail space, but only 14 full-line department stores are company-owned and as we mentioned above, much of the best real estate has been sold. Yes, Sears Canada has a net cash position, but we expect Sears Holdings to take as much cash as they can beforehand in the event of any sale or spin-off.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ted Cooper]

  Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) reported sales growth even as earnings per share fell amid a tough operating environment and ongoing merger preparations. The company expects to close on a takeover offer proposed by Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) within the next few quarters. The merger-related restructuring charges and fees hurt the company's bottom line, but earnings fell even after adding back those expenses. Here's what it could mean for shareholders.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  As a convenience store, it doesn’t have direct competition from�Dollar Tree (DLTR) or Family Dollar (FDO) because these dollar stores aren�� exclusively focused on food (and they have no gasoline or cigarette sales), and they��e targeted at the folks who are trying to save money over convenience, not vice versa. The convenience angle is another reason why�Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST)�aren’t competitors, since those behemoths are about a total shopping experience.

• [By Traders Reserve]

  I do believe as Wal-Mart gets hurt, the dollar stores will do a little better ��especially Dollar General (DG), but don�� overlook� Dollar Tree (DLTR). Wall Street is worried about Costco (COST) but I believe it will actually outperform expectations. Costco seems to have figured out how to grow much faster than Wal-Mart and still provide affordable health insurance for most employees.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Consumers and cooks have an expectation that mayonnaise should both taste and perform like mayonnaise.

  "Consumers and cooks have an expectation that mayonnaise should both taste and perform like mayonnaise. Just Mayo does neither," the complaint states, noting that the Hampton Creek product's oils separate when heated. Unilever holds the biggest share of the U.S. mayonnaise market, which is estimated to be worth $2 billion annually, according to market-research firm Euromonitor. That's more than twice the size of the ketchup market. Hampton Creek didn't return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday morning. The company told The Wall Street Journal that it doesn't mislead consumers because it advertises the absence of eggs as a benefit. But a marketing professor hired by Unilever to survey consumers found in an online survey that more than half of thought Just Mayo was mayonnaise when they saw the label. The professor said in a document filed last week that 822 consumers participated in the research. Just Mayo is the first product from Hampton Creek, a San Francisco-based startup that touts the backing of Microsoft (MSFT) founder Bill Gates and Li Ka-shing, Asia's wealthiest person. Just Mayo is available at Dollar Tree (DLTR), Whole Foods Market (WFM) and Kroger (KR) stores, among other locations. Hellmann's celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Mayonnaise originated in France in the 1700s, when a chef seeking to make a creamy sauce combined oil and egg yolks.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: FTD Companies Inc (FTD)

FTD Companies, Inc. (FTD), incorporated on April 25, 2008, is a floral and gifting company. The Company provides floral, gift and related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as to other retail locations offering floral and gift products primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The Company operates in one segment, which includes floral and related products and services. Its business uses the FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo. The Company�� portfolio of brands also includes Flying Flowers, Flowers Direct, and Drake Algar in the United Kingdom. On November 1, 2013, United Online, Inc. (United Online) completed the separation of United Online into two independent, publicly traded companies: FTD Companies, Inc. and United Online, Inc.

The Company�� products revenues are derived primarily from selling floral, gift and related products to consumers and the related shipping and service fees. Products revenues also include revenues generated from sales of hard goods, software and hardware systems, cut flowers, packaging and promotional products, and a range of other floral-related supplies to floral network members. Its services revenues related to orders sent through the floral network are variable based on either the number of orders or on the value of orders and are recognized in the period in which the orders.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  As we head towards Black Friday, small cap specialty retail stocks United Online, Inc (NASDAQ: UNTD), TravelCenters of America LLC (NYSE: TA) and MarineMax, Inc (NYSE: HZO) have the distinction of being the best performing small cap�specialty retail stocks for this year (according to Finviz.com) with gains of 181.2%, 123.8% and 71.8%, respectively. With those returns in mind, what are these small cap specialty retail stocks doing right and will the performance last through the all important holiday season? Here is what new and existing investors and traders alike need to know or consider:

  United Online, Inc.�A provider of consumer products and services over the Internet, United Online�� Content & Media segment services are online nostalgia (Memory Lane) and online loyalty marketing (MyPoints) while its�primary Communications segment services are Internet access and email (NetZero and Juno). The reason United Online is among the�best performing specialty retail stocks for this year in various stock screening tools like Finviz.com�is actually misleading as the company has just completed the spin off�of subsidiary FTD Companies, a floral and gifts products company acquired in August 2008 for $441 million, as�FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ: FTD) where United Online shareholders received one share of FTD common stock for every five shares of United Online common stock they hold. In addition, United Online completed�a�one-for-seven reverse stock split of United Online shares.�On Tuesday, small cap United Online, Inc fell 1.01% to $15.72 (UNTD has a 52 week trading range of $11.65 to $62.30 a share) for a market cap of $207.79 million plus the stock is up 181.2% since the start of the year and up 182.2% over the past five years. Meanwhile, the FTD Companies Inc�now has a�market cap of $611.60 and the stock is up almost 6% since October.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock One day out of 365, we pay homage to our sainted mothers. Those of us who are members of this long-suffering, uncomplaining, self-sacrificing class may get some soggy French toast in bed, (don't worry, kids; mom will clean up the kitchen), a chance to read in peace, or perhaps time to indulge in a long, hot bath. Bringing Home the Bacon If you really want to pay back mom for all she's done, get ready to pony up big. A card and some carnations (the official flower of Mother's Day, who knew?) just won't cut it. The cost of replacing mom as nurturer, nurse, cleaner and cook -- according to Insure.com's 2014 Mother's Day salary index -- would run you $62,985 a year, up from $59,862 in 2013. Breaking down the price of having someone else handle her various duties: Cooking and cleaning, $12,230 Child care, $21,736 Homework help, $7,290 Chauffeur, $5,672 Shopping, yard work, party and activity planning, finances, etc., $15,019 And my personal favorite, finding out what the kids are up to (paid in the equivalent value of a private detective), $1,036. Salary.com placed a higher value on moms in its 2014 Mother's Day salary survey, concluding that stay-at-home moms were worth $118,905 and working moms worth $70,107 (this does not include any paid salary from their job), with both groups putting more than 56 hours of overtime at home. These numbers are all up from last year's survey. Cooking It Up in a Pan Mom helps to pay for other things, too. Thanks to the Department of Agriculture, you can see what it costs to raise a child in the U.S. to 18. As of August 2013, the average cost is $241,080. This does not cover college, and hopefully dear old dad is contributing. In 2012, there were 10.3 million single U.S. mothers with children under 18, and one-third of women who gave birth in 2012 were single moms. By becoming moms, women give up time to do other things, what economists call an "opportunity cost." Particularly if your mother st

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Lands End Inc (LE)

Lands��End, Inc. (Lands��End), incorporated on August 19, 1986, is a multi-channel retailer of casual clothing, accessories and footwear, as well as home products. The Company offers products through catalogs, online at www.landsend.com and affiliated specialty and international Websites, and through retail locations, primarily at Lands��End Shops at Sears and standalone Lands��End Inlet stores. The Company operates in two segments: Direct and Retail, and it offers merchandise that includes men��, women�� and kids��apparel, outerwear and swimwear; specialty apparel; accessories; footwear; and home products. In addition, Lands��End Business Outfitters offers business casual apparel and a variety of promotional products that can be embroidered to enhance a partner company�� image. The Lands��End School Uniform business provides school uniforms and school-appropriate clothing designed to meet dress-code requirements.

Lands��End Direct

The Company�� Direct business sells its products through its United States and international e-commerce websites and through direct mail catalogs. The customers can choose from several ordering methods- Internet, phone, mail, or in-store computer kiosks. The Company also offers specialty services, such as monogramming, embroidery and hemming pants to length. It also operates three call centers out of Dodgeville, Reedsburg and Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Its customer care representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 364 days a year. The Company�� apparel sales include men��, women�� and kids��apparel, footwear and accessories. It offers a full range of fits from Petites to Plus for women, Slim to Husky for kids and Big and Tall for men. The Company�� Lands��End Canvas collection focuses on updating the Lands��End heritage pieces with tailored fits, designs and fabrics throughout the line. Through its Lands��End Business Outfitters and School Uniform businesses, it offers tailored and busi! ness casual apparel for office wear, trade shows and company events and uniforms and school-appropriate clothing designed to meet dress-code requirements.

Lands��End Retail

The Company�� Retail business sells products and services through standalone Lands��End Inlet stores and dedicated Lands��End Shops at Sears across the United States. Each Lands��End Shop at Sears features Lands��End products, personalized service, enhanced visuals and a shopping lounge where customers can search all of its offerings through the Internet and its catalog. The Company�� Lands��End Shops at Sears offer a selection of products for men, women and kids and select stores offer footwear and products for the home.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Keith Beaty/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesSears' Rexdale store at Woodbine Centre in suburban Toronto. HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears, sorely in need of cash, Sears is selling most of its stake in its Canadian unit to raise as much as $380 million. The sale of the majority of its 51 percent stake in Sears Canada to its own shareholders will give the retailer some breathing room as it heads into the crucial holiday season. The company board approved a rights offering of up to 40 million shares of Sears Canada. Chairman and CEO Edward Lampert plans to fully exercise his subscription rights. ESL Investments , of which Lampert is also chairman and CEO, will do the same. Sears will still hold about 12 million shares of Sears Canada, valued at about $113 million. The retailer, based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, expects at least $168 million in proceeds from the rights offering in mid-to-late October, with the rest by early November. Sears has been exploring options for its limping Sears Canada operations. Sears Holdings (SHLD), which runs Kmart and its namesake stores, has faced mounting pressure from rivals like Walmart Stores (WMT), in what has proved to be a slow recovery from the recession. It also faces the continuing shift by consumers to online purchases from companies like Amazon.com. Lampert, a billionaire hedge fund investor, combined Sears and Kmart in 2005, about two years after he helped bring Kmart out from under bankruptcy protection. The proceeds from the rights offering, in combination with a $500 million dividend tied to the spinoff of Lands' End (LE), $165 million in proceeds from some real estate transactions and a $400 million short-term loan, will provide Sears Holdings with up to $1.45 billion in liquidity in fiscal 2014, according to Chief Financial Officer Rob Schriesheim. He said that the recent cash infusions will give Sears the financial flexibility to continue working on a turnaround. Sears will continue to evaluate its capita

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears Holdings recorded a hefty second-quarter loss Thursday on another sales slump, raising more concerns about the future of a company that once was a staple of American shopping. The company, which operates Sears and Kmart, said it plans to do more cost-cutting to right the ship. That includes closing more stores beyond the 130 that it had announced earlier this year. But investors weren't encouraged. They sent shares down 4 percent in premarket trading. Sears (SHLD), controlled by billionaire hedge fund investor Edward Lampert, lost $573 million, or $5.39 a share, for the period ended Aug. 2. That's more than double the loss of $194 million, or $1.83 a share, a year earlier. It marked its ninth straight quarterly loss. Revenue declined 10 percent to $8 billion from $8.87 billion. One bright spot was online and multi-channel sales, which increased 18 percent. The challenges facing CEO and Chairman Lampert are enormous. The company has been cutting costs, reducing inventory and selling assets to return to profitability. At the same time, it's shifting its focus on running a store network to operating a member-focused business called Shop Your Way. But its biggest albatross remains its stores, which have been criticized for being outdated and shabby. Lampert, a billionaire hedge fund investor, combined Sears and Kmart in 2005, about two years after he helped bring Kmart out of bankruptcy. But it has faced mounting pressure from nimbler rivals such as Walmart Stores (WMT) and Home Depot (HD). Sears is also facing broader issues that are tripping up many other retailers. Like other stores catering to the low- to middle-income customers, Sears is grappling with a slowly recovering economy that's not benefiting all Americans equally. It also is wrestling with shoppers' shift away from physical stores to PCs and mobile devices for shopping and research. Lampert said in a statement that th

• [By Craig Jones]

  Worth said that the stock significantly underperformed peers in the last two months. While American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE: FDO) gained 38.5 and 28 percent, respectively, Amazon.com, Inc. fell 0.6 percent. Lands' End, Inc. (NASDAQ: LE) also did much better than Amazon.com, Inc., with an increase in price of 23.1 percent and Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) managed to gain 19.5 percent. Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) jumped 17.9 percent and Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) added 15.8 percent. The weakness in 2014 is a concern for Carter Worth because between 2009 and 2014 Amazon.com, Inc. outperformed the market and the retail space.

• [By James Brumley]

  Another decline in quarterly revenue came as no surprise when Sears Holdings (SHLD) reported first quarter results on Thursday morning. The retailer has been shedding revenue-bearing properties like Lands’ End (LE) in earnest for about three years now, while simultaneously axing operational stores; 80 more stores have been or will be closed in 2014.

10 Best Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Walgreen Co (WAG)

Walgreen Co. (Walgreens), incorporated on February 15, 1909, together with its subsidiaries, operates the drugstore chain in the United States. The Company provides its customers with access to consumer goods and services, pharmacy, and health and wellness services in communities across America. The Company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mails, by telephone and online. The Company sells prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as general merchandises, including household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy. On August 2, 2012, it acquired 45% interest in Alliance Boots GmbH (Alliance Boots). In September 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a regional drugstore chain in the mid-South region of the United States that included 144 stores operated under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May��, Med-X and Drug Warehouse names. In September 2012, WP Carey & Co LLC acquired five retail stores leased to Walgreen Co. In December 2012, the Company completed a transaction giving company a ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy LLC.

The Company's pharmacy, health and wellness services include retail, specialty, infusion and respiratory services, mail service, convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. These services help improve health outcomes and manage costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The Company's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is a manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the United States.

As of August 31, 2012, Walgreens operated 8,385 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2012, the Company opened or acquired 266 locations for a net increase of 175 locations after relocations and closings. As of August 31, 2012, the Com! pany had 7,930 of Drugstores, 366 of Worksite Health and Wellness Centers, 76 of Infusion and Respiratory Services Facilities, 11 of Specialty Pharmacies and two of Mail Service Facilities. The Company's drugstores are engaged in the retail sale of prescription and non-prescription drugs and general merchandise. General merchandise includes, among other things, household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy.

The Company offers specialty pharmacy services that provide customers nationwide access to a variety of medications, services and programs for managing complex and chronic health conditions. In addition, the Company offers its customers infusion therapy services, including the administration of intravenous (IV) medications for cancer treatments, chronic pain, heart failure, and other infections and disorders which must be treated by IV. Walgreens provides these infusion services at home, at the workplace, in a physician's office or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site. The Company also provides clinical services, such as laboratory monitoring, medication profile review, nutritional assessments and patient and caregiver education.

Customers can also access the Company's e-commerce solutions, which extend the convenience to purchase most products available within its drugstores, as well as additional products sold exclusively online through its walgreens.com and drugstore.com Websites, including beauty.com and visiondirect.com. The Company's Websites allow consumers to purchase general merchandise including beauty, personal care, home medical equipment, contact lenses, vitamins and supplements and other health and wellness solutions. The Company's mobile applications also allow customers to refill prescriptions through their mobile device, download weekly promotions and find the nearest Walgreens drugstore. The Company also offers services through Take Care Health Systems, which manages its Take Care Clinics at select Wa! lgreens d! rugstores throughout the country.

Alliance Boots is a pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution business. As of March 31, 2012, its fiscal year end, Alliance Boots had, together with its associates and joint ventures, pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in 11 countries and operated more than 3,330 health and beauty retail stores, of which over 3,200 had a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots had approximately 625 optical practices, approximately 185 of which operated on a franchise basis. Its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution businesses, including its associates and joint ventures, supplied medicines, other healthcare products and related services to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals from over 370 distribution centers in 21 countries.

Alliance Boots�� stores located in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Thailand and Lithuania and through its associates and joint ventures in Switzerland, China, Italy, Russia and Croatia. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, there were 58 Boots stores operated in the Middle East on a franchised basis. In its Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots has product brands such as No7, Soltan and Botanics, together with other brands, such as Boots Pharmaceuticals and Boots Laboratories. Through its Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division and several of its associates, Alliance Boots sells Almus, its line of generic medicines, in five countries and Alvita, its line of patient care products, in six countries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Walgreen (NYSE: WAG  ) will release its quarterly report on Friday, and investors have been pleased with the drugstore chain's success lately, bidding its shares to all-time record highs within the past month. Yet with Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD  ) having risen from the ashes to become profitable and with CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS  ) still posing a big obstacle to Walgreen's dominance of the industry, the question investors are asking is whether Walgreen earnings can keep up the pace.