Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) released its Q3 (ended May 31) results, reporting a 7.2% sales increase to $39.0 billion, exceeding market expectations of $36.6 billion. Growth was primarily driven by the US Retail Pharmacy and International segments, each posting a 7.8% sales increase. The US Retail Pharmacy segment generated $30.7 billion in sales, while the International segment contributed $6.2 billion.WBA is amid a turnaround, focusing on cost reductions, optimizing its store footprint, and investing in healthcare services.Tim Wentworth, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO, said, “Third quarter results reflect continued improvement in our US Healthcare segment and benefits from our cost savings initiatives, while we continued to see weakness in our US front-end sales. We remain focused on our turnaround plan, which will require time, disciplined focus and a balanced approach to manage future cash needs with investments necessary to navigate an evolving pharmacy and retail environment.”Boots Defies Market PressuresBoots continues to defy high street challenges with a 5% rise in total sales, marking its 17th consecutive quarter of market share growth. The retailer benefited from strong demand for new beauty and wellness offerings, including the launch of nine new brands, the introduction of two private-label ranges, Modern Chemistry and Habi, as well as an expanding digital presence.Demand for international beauty products is surging, with one Korean skincare product selling every 30 secondsat Boots, and it now represents over a tenth of the Boots’ Everyday Skincare category’s sales. Comparable retail sales grew 6% year on year, with pharmacy sales up 5.4%.