BOOTS shoppers have been left worried over a fresh wave of shop closures as 300 are set to disappear from the high street.
The popular pharmacy chain is pulling the shutters down on 14 branches between now and the New Year.
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The closures are part of wider plans that will see the retailer’s total shops reduced from 2,200 to 1,900.
Boots had not confirmed which stores are set to shut when it first unveiled plans back in June.
But Cornwall, Lancashire and Newport, Wales, are the latest locations set to lose their local stores for good, according to local news reports.
Shoppers in Newport told local news they were “disappointed” and “really sad” about the closure of their pharmacy.
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Writing on Facebook, another resident said: “Oh noo, that’s not good! Another high street giant gone.”
While others have been left worried about where their nearest pharmacy will be.
One concerned shopper said: “We get our prescriptions from the Chepstow road one and we don’t drive, does anyone know if there’s another pharmacy in walking distance of there?”
The latest upcoming Boots closures are as follows:
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- Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire – to close in January
- Caerleon Road, Newport – to close in early 2024
- Chepstow Road, Newport – to close in early 2024
- Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall – to close in early 2024
- St Blazey, Cornwall – to close in early 2024
It brings the total number of sites marked for closure to 14.
Boots has been contacted for comment.
Below we have listed the upcoming Boots closures we already knew about, so you can check if your local branch is one of them:
- Guildford Road, Woking – to close by the end of October
- Kings Square, York – to close on October 28
- Warminster – to close on October 28
- Gorleston, Great Yarmouth – to close in November
- High Row, Darlington – to close on November 3
- Mudge Way, Plymouth – to close on November 18
- Mount Pleasant, Exeter – to close on November 18
- Cliftonville, Margate, Kent – to close on January 20
- Front Street, Prudhoe – closure date yet to be announced
The stores that have already closed in 2023 are as follows:
- Salford Shopping Centre, Greater Manchester – February 2023
- Church Street, Malvern – March 11
- The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere – March 11
- King William Street, London – June 2
- Heathside Road, Woking – end of July
- UEA campus – end of July
- Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff – August 1
- Holywell, Flintshire (Wales) – August 26
Boots said in all cases there is an alternative store less than three miles away.
The retailer last closed more than 200 stores over 18 months in 2019
Other store closures
The rising cost of living means shoppers are thinking carefully before parting with their hard-earned cash.
With most retailers now having an online presence it is even easier for people to get what they want without having to leave the house.
This saves on increased town centre parking charges and also takes away the temptation to spend more money by stopping for lunch or a coffee.
But it is not helping the high street retailers, who despite their best efforts cannot get consumers through their doors.
Many big names are finding it impossible to keep their heads above water and are disappearing from our high streets forever.
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Wilko collapsed into administration in August after failing to find a buyer for the business and the last of its stores closed earlier this month.
Several chains including M&Co and Paperchase also closed for good this year.
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