Boots has said it will shut 300 of its stores across the UK over the next year.
The retailer revealed the string of closures despite posting stronger sales in the past quarter.
Boots representatives said there are no proposed redundancies despite the closures, with plans to redeploy affected workers.
Why are Boots stores closing?
Earlier on Tuesday, Boots revealed a surge in online shoppers and people opting for own-brand labels has driven up sales in the past quarter and the chain said its own ranges have been flying off the shelves as consumers hunt down value.
It came as its US owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), revealed its net quarterly profit more than halved as demand for Covid vaccines and testing declined.
Retail sales across Boots jumped by 13.4 per cent in the three months to the end of May, compared to the same period last year.
It was driven up by a boost in online shoppers with sales on its digital platform surging by a quarter over the latest period.
A Boots spokeswoman said: “Evolving the store estate in this way allows Boots to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up-to-date environment.”
Which Boots stores are closing?
Boots will reduce its store estate from 2,200 to 1,900 stores. However, Boots hasn’t confirmed the exact locations of those due to close, only explaining that those at risk will be close to another site.
The shops that have closed in 2023 so far are as follows.
- Salford Shopping Centre, Greater Manchester
- Church Street, Malvern
- The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere
- King William Street, London
Boots said in all cases there is an alternative store less than three miles away.
James Kehoe, global chief financial officer at Boots parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, told analysts yesterday: “We will continue to optimise our locations and opening hours, and expect to close an additional 300 locations in the UK and 150 locations in the US.”
Additional reporting from PA
