BOOTS is set to close 300 shops across the country over the next year.
The move will reduce the popular chain’s store portfolio from around 2,200 to just 1,900.
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While Boots hasn’t confirmed the exact locations, those which are set to shut are said to be shops which are close to another site.
In its quarterly results it said: “Over the next year Boots will continue to consolidate a number of stores in close proximity to each other.
“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.”
The pharmacy chain employs over 52,000 team members and it is expected that these closures will not lead to any redundancies.
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.”
Retail sales across Boots jumped by 13.4% 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.
It comes after Boots closed a string of stores this spring, before shutting another at the beginning of the month.
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The stores that have closed in 2023 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.
Previously, Boots closed more than 200 stores over an 18-month period starting in 2019.
Many of the closures were because they were loss-making and two-thirds of them were within walking distance of each other, the chain said.
In 2020, Boots announced 48 opticians were closing with the loss of 4,000 jobs.
Retailers have been feeling the pinch since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to soaring inflation.
High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
A number of well-known retailers including Argos and Lloyds Pharmacy have closed stores this month.
And popular chain Cath Kidston, which once boasted hundreds of shops around the world, is set to close its last store this week.
Shops aren’t the only ones affected, major burger chain Byron Burger also fell into administration and closed nine restaurants immediately.
In December, pub chain Wetherspoons announced it would be closing a total of 39 pubs after being hit by soaring inflation.
Here’s the full list of shops and chains disappearing from the high street this year.
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