OVER half a dozen Boots branches are set to close their doors for the final time this month leaving shoppers devastated.
The pharmacy chain is closing 300 stores as part of a giant consolidation of its UK portfolio.
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Eight shops have already shut their doors for good this year, including in Malvern, Manchester and London.
A number of others are set to close for good this month too – including in Wakefield, Glastonbury and York.
The full list of locations where Boots is shutting stores in October is:
- Windhill Road, Wakefield – October 6
- Upper Warrengate, Wakefield – October 7
- Glastonbury – October 13
- Uppingham Road, Leicester – October 13
- Kings Square, York – October 28
- Warminster – October 28
- Guildford Road, Woking – end of October
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Residents have reacted to the closures with devastation and dismay.
One shopper said: “Not another one of our wonderful stores. What is happening. So sad.”
Meanwhile, a second said: “Why close Boots so shocking.”
A third added: “No not another one. There (will) be nothing left.
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“Why are we letting this happen.”
Meanwhile a fourth said: “I’m shocked about Boots,” adding: “I’d be lost without it.”
In its quarterly results, Boots said consolidating its estate would allow it to “concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores”.
The retailer previously said it is closing stores where there is an alternative shop less than three miles away.
It’s not just Boots closing stores in the UK. A number of other pharmacies have been shutting sites too.
Lloyds shut all of its concessions within Sainsbury’s stores earlier this year.
In January, Asda announced a proposal to close seven of its 254 in-store pharmacies due to what it said was low customer usage.
Meanwhile, hundreds of local chemists are closing branches due to rising costs too.
And retailers in general are struggling to keep stores open across the country.
The high street has taken a hit in recent years as shoppers increasingly turn to online retail and away from physical stores.
That, combined with high inflation squeezing consumers’ pockets and rising energy and wage costs, has led to a number of retailer’s shutting branches.
Some have gone bust completely too, including Paperchase, Cath Kidston and M&Co.
It’s not all bad news though as some retailers have been expanding.
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Poundland, Primark and B&M have all announced store openings.
A number of bakery chains are set to open branches too, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Wenzel’s the Bakers.
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