BIGresearch Retail Ratings: CVS Closes Prescription Drug Gap With Walgreens

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - October 2, 2008) - Walgreens continues to lead as consumers' #1 preference for Prescription Drugs with 15.8% saying they shop there most often. However, CVS is closing the gap with 14.4% share, according to the September Retail Ratings Report from BIGresearch (http://www.bigresearch.com).

CVS' share increased almost two points from September 07 (12.5%), resulting in a positive Consumer Equity Index™ (CEI)* of 115.20. #1 Walgreens saw only a marginal increase in share, resulting in a CEI of 105.24. Wal-Mart also grew in popularity year over with a 1.6 point increase in share to 10.5% (vs. 8.9% in Sept. 07) and a CEI of 118.47. *CEI measures growth in share year over year. An index of 100 is flat, while an index of 105 indicates 5% growth.

Prescription Drugs (Shop at Most Often) - Adults 18+

                Share         Share         Share
Store           Sept 07       Sept 08       +/-       CEI
Walgreens       15.0%         15.8%         0.8       105.24
CVS             12.5%         14.4%         1.9       115.20
Wal-Mart         8.9%         10.5%         1.6       118.47

Source: BIGresearch, Retail Ratings Report, September 2008

While improving their share in prescription drugs, Wal-Mart already dominates the Health and Beauty Aids category with 30.1% share among all adults. Year over year, Wal-Mart enjoyed a share increase of 3.3 points, raking in a CEI rating of 112.43. Competitors CVS and Walgreens are neck and neck for second and third place rankings, with 8.4% and 8.0% share, respectively.

Health & Beauty Aids (Shop at Most Often) - Adults 18+

                Share         Share         Share
Store           Sept 07       Sept 08       +/-       CEI
Wal-Mart        26.7%         30.1%         3.3       112.43
CVS              6.9%          8.4%         1.5       122.36
Walgreens        7.2%          8.0%         0.7       110.08

Source: BIGresearch, Retail Ratings Report, September 2008

"The current economic environment appears to be helping Wal-Mart continue to increase their share in HBA, perhaps most notably among consumers with household incomes greater than $50,000," said Pam Goodfellow, Senior Analyst at BIGresearch. "Wal-Mart's share increased 2.4 points from 2007 which illustrates even upper income consumers feel pressure to reduce spending during tough economic times. Wal-Mart's low price model helps many consumers achieve that objective."

BIGresearch's Retail Ratings Reports (RRR) are available monthly for 12 major merchandise categories. They are developed from BIGresearch's monthly Consumer Intentions & Actions (CIA) Survey of over 8,000 online interviews. For a sample from the September reports for Prescription Drugs and HBA, please click the following link: http://info.bigresearch.com/.

About BIGresearch

BIGresearch is a consumer intelligence firm providing solution-based insights of consumer behavior, present and future, in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. BIGresearch conducts the monthly Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (CIA) of 8,000+ respondents and the semi-annual Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM) of 15,000+ respondents. More information is available at http://www.bigresearch.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Dianne Kremer BIGresearch 450 West Wilson Bridge Road Suite 370 Worthington, Ohio 43085 (614) 846-0146