BOOTS is set to pull the shutters down for good on another two shops as part of a huge store shake-up.
The pharmacy chain revealed in June that it would be closing 300 stores in the UK over the next year.
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The closures are part of the retailer’s plans to consolidate its portfolio of UK stores from 2,200 to 1,900.
Some stores have already shut and more are still to follow with branches in both Stanstead and Swindon set to close in early 2024.
According to local news, the Swindon pharmacy on Wood Street in the Old Town is set to close on February 9.
The Swindon Advertiser reports that the decision was made by head office because the Brunel Plaza Boots has been deemed as a suitable alternative for Old Town residents.
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Robert Buckland, MP for South Swindon said he is “very concerned” to hear about the closure and has requested an “urgent phone call with Boots CEO Sebastian James.”
Meanwhile, a notice has appeared in the window of the Cambridge Road branch in Stanstead informing shoppers that the branch will cease trading on January, 6.
The closures come as blows for campaigners who have been trying to save their local branch.
Shoppers are extremely disappointed by the closures in both towns.
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One resident of Swindon said: “One by one everything will close. Towns will become just a place to live and work.”
And another added: “Yes, it will be a bitter pill to swallow.”
While another commented: “I’m sure the people who live in the Old Town will miss it a lot.”
Ray Woodcock who has been leading the campaign for the Stanstead branch said: “Boots management have clearly decided that to ‘upgrade’ this shop cannot be a viable business decision.
“And is one of the 300 that is not achieving the financial returns it wants, hence close it and ignore the impact on the public who need this service.”
Boots first announced its plans to shut down stores in June this year and closed the first eight branches the following month.
More have followed including locations in Flintshire, Wales and London.
Earlier this month locations in Glastonbury and Leicester closed down.
Shoppers in Glastonbury staged a protest against the closure but to no avail.
One local resident commented on Facebook at the time that is was “ridiculous now” and expressed fears about the demand being placed on the remaining chemist.
However, one village in Surrey did manage to save their local Boots from being shuttered after locals, councilors and an MP got involved.
Speaking about the U-turn Boots said: “Feedback from our local communities and patients is very important, and we will always listen.
The full list of further planned closures taking place in October and November is:
- Kings Square, York – October 28
- Warminster – October 28
- Guildford Road, Woking – end of October
- Gorleston, Great Yarmouth – November
- High Row, Darlington – November 3
- Mudge Way, Plymouth – November 18
- Mount Pleasant, Exeter – November 18
- Front Street, Prudhoe – no date
The retailer previously said that it is closing stores where there is an alternative shop for customers less than three miles away.
In its quarterly results Boots said the consolidation of its estate would “concentrate its team members” where they are needed and enable more “focused investment.
Boots declined to comment on individual store closures.
The cost of living has shoppers shying away from spending their cash in town centres and thinking twice about what they spend it on.
This means retailers are struggling to keep their heads above water with many big names such as Wilko unable to survive.
The popular retailer went into administration in August after failing to find a buyer for the business and closed the last of its high-street shops just a couple of weeks ago.
Some Wilko stores were snapped up by rival discounter B&M as part of a £13million deal.
Poundland also bought out 71 Wilko stores and has already started to open up some locations. such as Maidenhead, Nottingham and Derbyshire.
The Range bought up the Wilko brand name and website in a £5million deal and customers are now able to shop online.
Several other chains including M&Co and Paperchase are also set to close this year.
Even retail giant Marks and Spencer recently confirmed that its Swindon store will shut for good at the end of October, leaving shoppers furious.
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Meanwhile, it is not only retailers that are being affected, major banks are also shutting up shop on the high street.
We have a full list of all the major banks closing down branches in October.
