Exit and disposal activities

6 Months Ended

Feb. 29, 2024

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Transformational Cost Management Program

On December 20, 2018, the Company announced a transformational cost management program that was expected to deliver in excess of $2.0 billion of annual cost savings by fiscal 2022 (the “Transformational Cost Management Program”). The Company achieved this goal at the end of fiscal 2021.

On October 12, 2021, the Company expanded and extended the Transformational Cost Management Program through the end of fiscal 2024 and increased its annual cost savings target to $3.3 billion by the end of fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2022, the Company increased its annual cost savings target from $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion, by the end of fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2023, the Company increased its annual cost savings target from $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion, by the end of fiscal 2024. We believe the Company is currently on track to achieve the savings target.

The Transformational Cost Management Program, which is multi-faceted and includes divisional optimization initiatives, global smart spending, global smart organization and the transformation of the Company’s information technology (“IT”) capabilities, is designed to help the Company achieve increased cost efficiencies. To date, the Company has taken actions across all aspects of the Transformational Cost Management Program which focus primarily on the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and International reportable segments along with the Company's global functions. Divisional optimization within the Company’s segments includes activities such as optimization of stores. Through the Transformational Cost Management Program the Company plans to reduce its presence by up to 650 Boots stores in the United Kingdom (“UK”) and approximately 650 to 700 stores in the U.S. As of February 29, 2024, the Company has closed 484 and 625 stores in the UK and U.S., respectively.

The Company estimates cumulative pre-tax charges to its GAAP financial results for the Transformational Cost Management Program to be $4.1 billion to $4.4 billion, of which pre-tax charges for exit and disposal activities are estimated to be $3.8 billion to $4.1 billion. In addition to the impacts discussed above, as a result of the actions related to store closures taken under the Transformational Cost Management Program, the Company recorded $508 million of transition adjustments to decrease retained earnings due to the adoption of the new lease accounting standard (Topic 842) that became effective on September 1, 2019.

From the inception of the Transformational Cost Management Program to February 29, 2024, the Company has recognized cumulative pre-tax charges to its financial results in accordance with GAAP of $3.4 billion, which were primarily recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. These charges included $1.3 billion related to lease obligations and other real estate costs, $932 million in asset impairments, $934 million in employee severance and business transition costs and $260 million of IT transformation and other exit costs.

Costs related to exit and disposal activities under the Transformational Cost Management Program for the three and six months ended February 29, 2024 and February 28, 2023, respectively, were as follows (in millions):


Three months ended February 29, 2024	U.S. Retail Pharmacy		International		U.S. Healthcare		Corporate and Other		Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Lease obligations and other real estate costs	$	119	$	1	$	—	$	—	$	120
Asset impairments	25		14		—		—		39
Employee severance and business transition costs	29		—		3		1		33
Information technology transformation and other exit costs	3		—		—		—		3
Total pre-tax exit and disposal charges	$	175	$	16	$	3	$	1	$	195


Six months ended February 29, 2024	U.S. Retail Pharmacy		International		U.S. Healthcare		Corporate and Other		Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Lease obligations and other real estate costs	$	155	$	1	$	—	$	—	$	156
Asset impairments	28		21		—		—		49
Employee severance and business transition costs	51		—		5		5		60
Information technology transformation and other exit costs	6		1		—		—		7
Total pre-tax exit and disposal charges	$	240	$	22	$	5	$	5	$	272


Three months ended February 28, 2023	U.S. Retail Pharmacy		International		U.S. Healthcare		Corporate and Other		Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Lease obligations and other real estate costs	$	20	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	20
Asset impairments	96		(1)		—		—		95
Employee severance and business transition costs	11		1		—		3		15
Information technology transformation and other exit costs	4		5		—		(1)		9
Total pre-tax exit and disposal charges	$	131	$	4	$	—	$	2	$	138


Six months ended February 28, 2023	U.S. Retail Pharmacy		International		U.S. Healthcare		Corporate and Other		Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Lease obligations and other real estate costs	$	98	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	98
Asset impairments	115		(1)		—		—		113
Employee severance and business transition costs	22		2		—		7		31
Information technology transformation and other exit costs	16		10		—		(1)		25
Total pre-tax exit and disposal charges	$	250	$	10	$	—	$	6	$	267

The changes in liabilities and assets related to the exit and disposal activities under Transformational Cost Management Program include the following (in millions):


	Lease obligations and other real estate costs		Asset impairments		Employee severance and business transition costs		Information technology transformation and other exit costs		Total
Balance at August 31, 2023	$	10	$	—	$	70	$	22	$	102
Costs	156		49		60		7		272
Payments	(75)		—		(77)		(16)		(169)
Other	(77)		(49)		—		—		(126)
Balance at February 29, 2024	$	14	$	—	$	52	$	14	$	80

Other exit and disposal activities

During the three and six months ended February 29, 2024, VillageMD approved the closure of approximately 90 and 160 clinics, respectively. As a result, long-lived and intangible assets of $179 million and $303 million were impaired within the U.S. Healthcare segment, respectively. The impairment charges were recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings.

During the three months ended February 29, 2024, management ceased development of, and abandoned, a multi-year internal software development project within the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment. As a result, previously capitalized internally-developed software of $455 million was impaired. The impairment charge was recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings.