Boots announce closures of 300 UK stores in huge blow to high streets

Boots is set to close 300 branches across the UK.

The pharmacy and giant has announced the closure of the stores over the next 12 months, with four having already been shut down since the start of this year. The exact locations of sites earmarked for closure have not yet been made clear.

The MirrorOnline reports^[1] that the move will reduce the chain’s portfolio from around 2,200 to just 1,900. Boots employs over 52,000 people, but the closures are not expected to lead to redundancies.

In its quarterly results, the company 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.”

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.”

Stores at Salford Shopping Centre in Greater Manchester, Church Street, Malvern, The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere, and King William Street, London, have all already closed since the spring.

Boots said in all cases there is an alternative store less than three miles away.

References

1. ^{^} MirrorOnline reports (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Road and rail disruption as bus gets stuck under Metro bridge in Gateshead (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)