Walgreen Sept. same-store sales up 4.7 percent

CHICAGO, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Walgreen Co (WAG.N) on Tuesday said that sales rose 4.7 percent at stores open at least a year, as it filled only 1.6 percent more prescriptions at those stores.

The drugstore operator said there was one less Friday and one more Sunday in the September reporting period this year than last, and people fill more prescriptions on weekdays. The calendar shift cut comparable pharmacy sales by 1.6 percentage points, the company said.

Sales at pharmacies open at least a year rose 3.9 percent, while general merchandise sales, also known as front-end sales, rose 6.3 percent at stores open at least a year, the company said.