Boots has announced it is temporarily closing 60 of its branches during the UK lockdown.
The decision comes due to the lack of footfall in some of its stores as a result of the lockdown measures, with those in airports, train stations and city centres being the hardest hit.
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What will happen to staff?
Boots announced on Thursday 9 July that it will be letting 4,000 staff go.
The company is consulting on plans to restructure its head office and store teams and shut 48 Boots Opticians stores.
It blamed the job losses on reduced footfall on the high street.
“These factors severely impacted comparable retail sales, which decreased 48% for Boots UK and 72% for Boots Opticians in the third quarter,” a Boots spokesperson said.
“Restrictions are beginning to lift, but with an uncertain economic outlook, it is anticipated that the High Street will take considerable time to recover.
What shopping restrictions does Boots have in place?
Boost recently banned shoppers from browsing in its stores, instead asking them to say what they intend to buy before they go in.
If what a customer requires is an essential item, such as medicine, a staff member will find the product so that shoppers can go straight to the till to pay.
Which stores are closing?
This is the full list of Boots stores that will be temporarily closing this month.
Closed on 10 April:
– London Canary Wharf Cabot Square
– London Canary Wharf Jubilee
– London Cannon Street
– London Covent Garden Long Acre
– London Farringdon Road
– London Fenchurch Street
– London High Holborn
– London Houndsditch
– London Liverpool St Station
– London Monument
– London Moorgate High Street
– London New Bridge Street
– London One New Change Shopping Centre
– London 100 Oxford Street
– London 193 Oxford Street
– London 508-520 Oxford Street
– London Paternoster Square
– London Piccadilly
– London 302 Regent Street
– London Strand temporary store
– London Stratford City
– London 16 Tottenham Court Road
– London 211Tottenham Court Road
– London Victoria Cardinal Place
– London White City Shopping Centre Ariel Way
Closing on 15 April:
– Aberdeen Airport
– Ballymena Fairhill Shopping Centre
– Belfast Great Northern Mall
– Birmingham Airport
– Birmingham New Street Station
– Bristol Cribbs Causeway
– Caerphilly Castle Court
– Dartford Bluewater Park
– Edinburgh 101 Princes Street
– Edinburgh Waverley St Station
– Gateshead Metro Centre
– Gatwick South
– Glasgow Airport
– Heathrow T2 arrivals
– Heathrow T3
– Heathrow T3 departures
– Heathrow T4
– Heathrow T4 arrivals
– Leeds Bradford Airport
– Leeds Trinity
– Liverpool Lime Street Station
– London Bridge Station
– London Charing Cross Station
– London Kings Cross Station
– London Marylebone Station
– London Victoria Place
– Liverpool Clayton Square Shopping Centre
– Manchester Trafford Centre
– Newcastle Airport AS
– Newcastle Central Station
– Newry Buttercrane Shopping Centre
– Newry The Quays Shopping Centre
– Reading Station Over Bridge
– Stockport Peel Shopping Centre
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