A HIGH street giant with over 2,000 stores in the UK is set to close ones of its branches, leaving shoppers devastated.
Boots in Parkstone, Bournemouth, is closing today – one of a number of the health and beauty retailer’s franchises that are set to stop trading.
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The franchise is planning to cut 300 stores across the UK in a wave of high street closures
Bournemouth’s Daily Echo reported that a sign on the shop was put upon the glass back in January.
It read: “Sadly, this store will be closing down on April 27.
“Please speak to a team member who can assist you in transferring your prescriptions to an alternative pharmacy.”
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Fans of the store were distraught at the loss of their local shop.
One said: “There is going to be nothing left in Ashley rd.”
Another posted: “FFS! Just transferred my dad’s prescriptions to them.”
While a third wrote: “I was wondering when this would happen. Such a pity.”
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The nearest pharmacy for locals will now be Bryant’s Pharmacy on Ashley Road, while the nearest Boots is in Redlands Estate retail park.
Boots is closing a total of nine sites this month as part of wider plans to get rid of 300 sites.
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This will see the retailer’s total shops reduced from 2,200 to 1,900.
The health and beauty chain has said where stores are closing there is an alternative shop less than three miles away.
Last month saw the closure of stores around the country, including in Kent, Wolverhampton, Wales, and Cornwall.
Since last year, more than 20 branches have closed, including in Leicester, York, Plymouth and Exeter.
Boots last closed more than 200 stores over 18 months in 2019.
This saw roughly eight per cent of Boots high street branches close.
Many of the stores shut because they were loss-making and two-thirds of them were within walking distance of each other.
In 2020, Boots announced 48 opticians were closing with the loss of 4,000 jobs.
They said the decision to close stores was not taken lightly.
Here is the full list of stores closing this year.
What is happening to the high street?
Several other retailers have been struggling to get by over the past few years.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
Troubled fashion brand Superdry has said it is looking at various “cost-saving options” after reports it is considering a major restructuring which could include store closures and job cuts.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
Major banks have also announced multiple branch closures.
Barclays is to start pulling the shutters down on 14 sites in England, three in Wales and three in Scotland as soon as April.
Even charity shops are struggling Oxfam confirmed it would close eight of its UK stores last year.
But some shops are bucking the trend and opening new locations.
Primark said it will open five new branches, and one is coming in just weeks.
The Frasers Group has announced it will be taking over the former John Lewis site at Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough to open another new concept store.
B&M is opening six new locations at the start of 2024, including in former Wilko stores it has taken over.
WHSmith has said it intends to open 15 new stores across the UK but they won’t be on the high street.
Avon plans to open shops in the UK for the first time in its over 100-year history.
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Costco is looking to open 14 new locations in the UK over the next two years, while Greggs will add up to 160 branches this year.
See the full list of shops opening on the high street in our round-up.
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