BOOTS has issued a major update on its store closure plans after previously announcing that 300 shops would shut for good.
The health and beauty chain announced last year that it would close hundreds of branches as part of a plan to reduce its store count.
In a fresh update, Boots UK told The Sun that over 290 stores have now shut as part of these plans.
This means that fewer than 10 stores are still scheduled to close before the health and beauty chain completes its extensive closure programme.
Although Boots did not release a list of the affected stores, they are all expected to shut by the end of October.
Most of the closures have taken place as the leases of the affected stores have expired.
The latest update comes after new data obtained by Healthwatch found that 436 pharmacies closed permanently in England between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
In July, Boots told The Sun that it had shut 257 of the 300 stores marked for closure.
Boots revealed a jump in sales for the latest quarter, as its parent firm cut profit forecasts and announced US store closures.
The UK arm revealed higher sales across its pharmacy and retail businesses during the quarter ending May.
However, total sales growth slowed to 1.6% as store closures impacted it over the past year.
Over the past year, Boots has shut around 290 shops to take its store estate from around 2,200 down to 1,900 sites.
Boots says that most closures have happened in areas with another store nearby.
In June, parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) said it plans to shut more of its underperforming US shops following a strategic review.
WBA also cuts its earning per share guidance for the financial year to August, amid a “challenging US retail environment”.
Overall group sales were 2.6% higher at 36.4 billion dollars (£28.8 billion) for the quarter to May, as its US business saw stronger pharmacy sales offset a retail slump.
In the UK, comparable retail sales grew by 6% year-on-year, with in-store sales higher due to stronger footfall in its travel, beauty, and flagship shops.
It highlighted that airport stores performed particularly well following recent refurbishments.
Meanwhile, digital sales grew by 13.8% for the period, as it benefited from investment in its Boots app, which provides shoppers with personal offers.
Boots also reported stronger sales growth in its pharmacy arm, which reported a 5.8% rise amid increased take up for its healthcare services.
Where has Boots closed stores?
BOOTS has never given a full list of the 300 stores closing.
However, The Sun’s has put together a list of 246 branches we know have closed for good:
- Morecambe Braddon Close, Westgate, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 4UZ
- Accrington 2 Cornhill, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 1EX
- Leyland 40 Hough Lane, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2SA
- Nelson 2 Marsden Mall, Pendlerise Shopping Centre, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 9SL
- Blackburn 435 Bolton Road, Ewood, Blackburn, BB2 4HY
- Barrow-In-Furness 8-10 Risedale Road, Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria , LA13 9RD
- Rawtenstall Rawtenstall Health Centre, 161 Bacup Road, Rawtenstall , BB4 7PL
- Barrow-In-Furness 15-17 Portland Walk, Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 1DB
- Sheffield 123 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S11 8HY
- Pershore 28 High Street, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1BG
- Westcliff-On-Sea 179-181 Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex, SS0 7EL
- Canvey Island The Health Centre, Third Avenue, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 9SU
- Chelmsford 1 The Vineyards Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 7QS
- Canvey Island Central Canvey PCC, Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0JA
- Tilbury 2 St Chads Road, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8LB
- Chelmsford 10-12 Torquay Road, Chelmsford, CM1 6NF
- Leigh On Sea 89 The Broadway, Leigh On Sea, Essex, SS9 1PE
- Chelmsford 133 Sunrise Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4JW
- South Ockendon 17 Derwent Parade, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5EF
- Chelmsford 51a Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0HY
- Sutton Coldfield 80-82 Boldmere Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B73 5TJ
- Sutton Coldfield 31 While Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B72 1ND
- Acocks Green 1104 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, B27 6BH
- West Heath 11 Alvechurch Road, West Heath, Birmingham, B31 3JP
- Sparkhill 553-555 Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 4LP
- Castle Bromwich 352 Bradford Road, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, B36 9AD
- Byker 121-125 Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 1DN
- Hemlington 15 The Viewly Centre, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS8 9JH
- Heaton 293/295 Chillingham Road, Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE6 5LL
- Peterlee 17 Blackhills Road, Horden, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 4DW
- Gateshead 479 Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5EX
- Blyth Blyth Community Hospital, Thoroton Street, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 1DX
- Hartlepool Hartlepool Community HC, Park Road, Hartlepool, Cleveland, TS24 7PW
- Darlington 23 High Row, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 7QW
- Blyth 514 Plessey Road, Newsham, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 4AA
- Peterlee 1 Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 3PF
- Gateshead Ravensworth Road, Dunston, Gateshead , NE11 9FJ
- Winlaton 16 Front Street, Winlaton, Tyne & Wear, NE21 4RE
- Prudhoe 77 Front Street, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5PU
- Thornaby 12 Wrightson House, Mitchell Avenue, Thornaby, Stockton-On-Tees, Cleveland, TS17 9EP
- Sunderland Springwell Medical Group Jack Cohen Health Centre, Springwell Road, Sunderland, SR3 4HG
- Carlisle 6 Petteril Bank Road, Haraby, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 3AH
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Unit 10 Cruddas Park Shopping Centre, Westmorland Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 7RW
- Longbenton Unit 4, The Boulevard, Longbenton, Tyne & Wear , NE12 8GA
- Gateshead Unit 4, Booth Street, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 9BF
- Stanley Tanfield View Surgery, Scott St, Tanfield, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 8AD
- North Shields Nelson Health Centre, Cecil Street, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE29 0DZ
- Kenton 41 Halewood Avenue, Kenton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3RX
- Sunderland Units 2-3 Park Lane, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR1 3NX
- Heanor 24 Market Place, Heanor, Derbyshire, DE75 7AA
- Colchester Fiveways Superstore, Peartree Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0JX
- Felixstowe 31 Orwell Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 7DD
- Stowmarket Stowmarket Health Centre, Violet Hill Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk , IP14 1NL
- Clacton On Sea 158 Old Road, Clacton On Sea, Essex, CO15 3AY
- Plymouth 6-8 Eggbuckland Road, Mannamead, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 5HE
- Axminster Trinity Square, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5AP
- Plymouth Units 4B & 4C, Cattedown Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 0AY
- Newton Abbot 44A Gestridge Road, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 3HH
- Sidmouth 2 Woolbrook Road, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 9UU
- St. Budeaux Chard Road Health Centre, Chard Road, St. Budeaux, Devon, PL5 2UE
- Exeter Mount Pleasant Health Centre, Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 7BW
- Bideford 2 High Street, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2AA
- Plymton Plympton Health Centre, Mudge Way, Plymton, Devon, PL7 1AD
- Plymouth 58 Salisbury Road, St Judes, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8SY
- Totnes Leatside Health Centre, Babbage Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5JA
- Plymouth 7 Claremont Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 5AQ
- Leicester 149 Uppingham Road, Leicester, LE5 4BP
- Forest Hill 21-23 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3HN
- Penge 4-5 Coleman House, High Street, Penge, London, SE20 7EX
- Biggin Hill Waitrose, Main Road, Biggin Hill, Kent, TN16 3JZ
- Maidstone The New Medical Centre, 23-29 Albion Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5DY
- Maidstone 52 College Road , Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6SA
- Margate 192-194 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 2QN
- Herne Bay 161A Station Road, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5NE
- Harlow 5 Bush House, Bush Fair, Harlow, Essex, CM18 6NS
- Welwyn Garden City 126 Peartree Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3XW
- Hemel Hempstead 24 Bennetts Gate, Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 8EW
- Loughton 230 High Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1EZ
- Loughton 18 The Broadway, Debden, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3ST
- Stansted Mountfitchet Unit 2, The Greens Build, 4/8 Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8BZ
- London 138 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 6BL
- London 54 King William Street, London, EC4R 9AD
- London 120 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2BE
- Chingford 9-11 Old Church Road, Chingford, London, E4 6SJ
- Romford Unit 4, 47 Market Place, Romford, Essex, RM1 3AB
- London 100 Newbridge Street, London, EC4V 6JJ
- London Unit 9 King Edward Court, Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7DX
- London 8-10 Camden High Road, Mornington Crescent, London, NW1 0JH
- London Main Concourse, Euston Station, London, NW1 2RS
- Palmers Green 315-317 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N13 4YB
- Bungay 28 St John’s Road, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1LP
- Norwich University Of East Anglia, Bluebell Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7LG
- Norwich 11-12 Anglia Square, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1DY
- Gorleston-On-Sea Coliseum Precinct, High Street, Gorleston-On-Sea, Norfolk, NR31 6QX
- Thetford 29-31 King Street, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2AN
- Norwich Magdalen Medical Practice, Lawson Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4LF
- Sprowston Willow Wood Surgery, Aslake Close, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8ET
- Thetford 1 Chaston Place, 29 High Street, Watton, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6XE
- Cannock 1 Church Street, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 1DE
- Tamworth 18-24 Ankerside, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7LQ
- Lightwater 43-45 Guildford Road, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SA
- Windsor 83 Dedworth Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 5BB
- Worthing Waitrose, High Street, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1LL
- Eastbourne 53 Grove Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4TX
- Eastbourne Waitrose, Crowne Centre, Old Town, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1HR
- East Grinstead Waitrose, West Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4YZ
- Littlehampton 80-82 High Street, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 5DX
- Bexhill-On-Sea 4 Collington Mansions, Collington Avenue, Bexhill-On-Sea, East Sussex, TN39 3PU
- Brighton 17-19 St James Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 1RF
- Bolton 311 Wigan Road, Bolton , BL3 5QU
- Wigan 765 Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 8AT
- Ashton-Under-Lyne 348 Oldham Road, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL7 9PS
- Dukinfield 30 Concord Way, Dukinfield, Cheshire, SK16 4DB
- Middleton 133 Manchester Old Road, Middleton, Manchester, M24 4DZ
- Chorlton-Cum-Hardy 20-22 Chorlton Place, Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 9AQ
- Manchester 69-72 The Mall, Arndale Centre, Stretford, Manchester, M32 9BD
- Manchester 103 Crumpsall Lane, Crumpsall, Manchester, M8 5SR
- Hull 132 Chanterlands Avenue, Hull, HU5 3TR
- Bridlington 18 Victoria Road, Bridlington, East Riding Of Yorkshire, YO15 2AT
- Catterick Garrison 19-20 Broadway, Colburn, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 4RF
- Hull 300 Holderness Road, Hull, HU9 2JX
- Hull 218 Hessle Road, Hull, North Humberside, HU3 3BG
- Hull 143-145 Askew Avenue, Hull, HU4 6NH
- Harrogate Nycs Store, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2XQ
- Thirsk 1 Chapel Street, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1LU
- Hull 860 Beverley Road, Hull, HU6 7HP
- Market Weighton 43 Market Place, Market Weighton, York , YO43 3AJ
- York 10 East Parade, Heworth, York, YO31 7YJ
- Scunthorpe 233-235 Ashby High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 2SQ
- Grimsby 55 Freeman Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN32 7AE
- York 86 Clifton, York, YO30 6BA
- York 1 Kings Square, York, YO1 8BH
- Hull 153 Beverley Road, Hull, North Humberside, HU3 1TY
- Cottingham 156 Hallgate, Cottingham, North Humberside, East Yorkshire, HU16 4BD
- Corsham 22 Martingate, Corsham , Wiltshire, SN13 0HL
- Warminster 14-16 The Avenue, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 9AA
- Bath 100 Mount Road, Southdown, Bath, BA2 1LN
- Swindon 35 Wood Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 4AN
- Cinderford 9-11 Market Street, Cinderford, Gloucestershire, GL14 2RT
- Southampton 9 Victoria Road, Woolston, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 9DY
- Petersfield Swan Surgery, Swan Street, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3AB
- Eastleigh 11 Leigh Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9FF
- Havant The Bosmere Medical Centre, Solent Road, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1DQ
- Lee-On-The-Solent 130-132 High Street, Lee-On-The-Solent, Hampshire, PO13 9DD
- Havant 17 Park Parade, Leigh Park, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 5AA
- Portsmouth 48 High Street, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3AG
- Cowes Cowes Medical Centre, 200 Newport Road, Cowes, Isle Of Wight, PO31 7ER
- Southampton 357A Burgess Road, Bassett, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 3BD
- London 73 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HS
- Hanworth 3 Market Parade, Hampton Road West, Hanworth, Middlesex, TW13 6AJ
- Acton Unit 17 Oaks Shopping Centre, Acton High Street, London, W3 6RE
- Uxbridge 163 High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1JZ
- Greenford 42 The Broadway, Ruislip Road, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 9PT
- Hounslow 302 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 7DN
- Ruislip 212 Whitby Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 9DY
- Northwood Hills 32 Joel Street, Northwood Hills, Middlesex, HA6 1PF
- South Harrow 283 Northolt Road, South Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 8HX
- Taunton St. James Medical Centre, St. James Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1JP
- Taunton 1 Coopers Mill, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 6NX
- Wincanton 29-31 High Street, Wincanton, Somerset , BA9 9JU
- Wellington Wellington Medical Centre, Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8BD
- Glastonbury 39 High Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9DS
- Hucknall The Health Centre, Curtis Street, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 7JE
- Nottingham 541 Aspley Lane, Aspley, Nottingham, NG8 5RW
- Kirby In Ashfield 48 Lowmoor Road, Kirby In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 7BG
- Nottingham Mary Potter Centre, Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 5HY
- Nottingham 19 Carlton Square, Carlton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG4 3BP
- Redruth Pool Health Centre, Station Road, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3DU
- Camborne 10 Commercial Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8JY
- St Austell 25 Polkyth Parade, Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4RD
- Par 4 Fernlea Villas, Middleway, St Blazey, Par, Cornwall, PL24 2JG
- Bodmin Unit 5, Bell Lane, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2JL
- Hayle 44-46 Fore Street, Copperhouse, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4DY
- Thame The Health Centre, East Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3JZ
- Thatcham Thatcham Health Centre, Bath Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 3HD
- Tilehurst 32 Meadway Precinct, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4AA
- Wolverhampton 2 Blackhalve Lane, The Scotlands, Wolverhampton, WV11 1BQ
- Bilston The Health Centre, Prouds Lane, Bilston, Wolverhampton, WV14 6PW
- Wolverhampton 8 Trysull Road, Bradmore, Wolverhampton, WV3 7HT
- Brierley Hill Off Squires Court, Withymoor Village, Brierley Hill, DY5 3RJ
- Castlecroft 92 Windmill Lane, Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, WV3 8HG
- March Riverside Medical Centre, 23 Marylebone Road, March, Cambridgeshire, PE15 8BG
- Bretton The Bretton Health Centre, Rightwell East, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 8DT
- Cambridge 68 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 1EP
- Wisbech 8 De Havilland Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 3AN
- Hartcliffe Unit 5, Peterson Avenue, Hartcliffe, Bristol, BS13 0BE
- Weston-Super-Mare 16 St Andrews Parade, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon, BS23 3SS
- Bristol 98 High Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5HL
- Westbury On Trym 37 Southmead Rd, Westbury On Trym, Bristol, BS10 5DW
- Southbourne Beaufort Road Surgery, 21 Beaufort Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH6 5AJ
- Portland 54 Fortuneswell, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1LZ
- Lyme Regis 45 Broad St, Lyme Regis, Dorset , DT7 3QF
- Westham 26 Abbotsbury Rd, Westham, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0AE
- Moordown 960 Wimborne Road, Moordown, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9 2DG
- New Addington 1 Central Parade, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 0JB
- Hampton 28B Priory Road , Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2NT
- Cheam 2 Station Way, Cheam, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 8SW
- Carshalton 370 Middleton Road, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 1HA
- Whitton 100 High Street Whitton, Middlesex, TW2 7LN
- Hampton 29 Tangley Park Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 3YH
- Putney 383 Upper Richmond Rd, Putney, London, SW15 5QJ
- Leeds 49-51 The Merrion Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8PJ
- Wakefield 82 Upper Warrengate, Peterson Road, Wakefield , WF1 4JZ
- Shipley 37 Market Square, Shipley, Bradford, BD18 3QJ
- Eastmoor 64a Windhill Road, Eastmoor, Wakefield, WF1 4SD
- Mirfield Mirfield Health Centre, Doctor Lane, Mirfield, West Yorkshire, WF14 8DU
- Leeds 12-14 Kirkgate Market Ctr, Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS1 7JH
- Keighley 12 Main Street, Cross Hills, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 8TB
- Halton 204 Selby Road, Halton, Leeds, LS15 0LF
- Bradford 845 Barkerend Road, Bradford, BD3 8QJ
- Heaton 202 Haworth Road, Heaton, Bradford, BD9 6NJ
- Wakefield Lupset Medical Centre, George-A-Green Court, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 8FE
- Greengates Unit 3, New Line Retail Pk, Greengates, Bradford, BD10 9AP
- Leeds 1 Moseley Place, Leeds, LS6 2RY
- Leeds 1 Moor Road, Hunslet Carr, Leeds, LS10 2JJ
- Rothwell Rothwell Health Centre, Stone Brig Lane, Rothwell, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS26 0UE
- Shipley 2 Oakminster House, The Grove, Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD17 6LR
- Nuneaton 11-15 All Saints Square, Bedworth, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV12 8LP
- Coventry 94 Moseley Avenue, Coventry, CV6 1HQ
- Rugby Unit 15 Market Mall, Clock Towers Shopping Ctr, Hillmorton Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2JR
- Coventry 163 Daventry Road, Coventry, CV3 5HD
- Coventry 116-118 Jardine Crescent, The Hill, Coventry, CV4 9PP
- Caterham Eothen House, Eothen Close, Caterham, Surrey, CR3 6JU
- West Byfleet 103 High Road, Byfleet, West Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 7QX
- Thames Ditton 14 High Street, Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0RY
- Cranleigh 2 Mida House, Village Way, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8AF
- Shepperton 9 High Street, Shepperton, Middlesex, TW17 9AJ
- Woking York House Medical Centre, Heathside Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 7XL
- Woking 34 Guildford Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 7QQ
- Esher 107A Hare Lane Claygate, Esher, Surrey, KT10 0QX
- Guildford 4 Kingfisher Parade, Merrow Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7EW
- Congleton 14-16 Bridge Street, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1AY
- Litherland 35 Seaforth Road, Seaforth, Litherland, Liverpool, L21 3TX
- Hoole 4 Faulkner Street, Hoole, Chester, CH2 3BD
- Liverpool 44 Castle Street , Liverpool, L2 7LA
- Liverpool 6 Smithdown Place, Liverpool, L15 9EH
- Fazakerley Unit 5, 46 Landford Ave Fazakerley, Liverpool, L9 6BR
- Liverpool 12-14 Childwall Abbey Rd, Liverpool, L16 0JN
- Greasby 148 Greasby Road, Greasby, Wirral, CH49 3NQ
- Liverpool 68/70 London Road, Liverpool, L3 5NF
- Birkenhead 30 Hoylake Road, Birkenhead, CH41 7BX
- Wirral Commonfield Road Surgery, 156 Commonfield Road, Wirral, CH49 7LP
- Runcorn 21 High Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1AP
- Runcorn Hallwood Health Ctr Pharm, Hospital Way, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2UT
- Liverpool 1A Greenbank Road, Liverpool, L18 1HG
MORE ON BOOTS CLOSURES
Since 2019, Boots has embarked on a major company restructure dubbed the Boots Transformation Plan.
At the time of its launch in 2019, the brand earmarked 200 stores for closure.
The closures took place over an eighteen-month period.
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.
Last July, Boots announced further plans to shut 300 more stores.
The move is aimed to reduce the chain’s store portfolio from around 2,200 to just 1,900.
So far, around 290 of these store closures have taken place and a less than 10 shops are to close by the end of October.
The pharmacy chain employs over 52,000 team members, and it has said that these closures will not lead to any redundancies.
Boots’ parent, WBA’s quarterly financial report, said earlier in June that it “plans to reduce its presence by up to 650 Boots stores”.
Since the launch of the Boots Transformation Plan in 2019, 581 Boots stores have closed for good.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103%.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
PHARMACY WOES
Pharmacy closures have become a “widespread challenge” across England.
Healthwatch England said that closures can have “huge impacts” on patients – particularly those in rural communities and older people.
New data obtained by Healthwatch found that 436 pharmacies closed permanently in England between January 1 and December 31, 2023 – the equivalent of eight pharmacies shutting their doors permanently every week.
Healthwatch also sounded the alarm over temporary closures of pharmacies – which can last hours or days.
Some 13,863 temporary closures were reported between January 1 and December 31 last year, according to a new Healthwatch briefing document.
It warned that temporary and permanent pharmacy closures are “undermining people’s access to care”.
Analysis of the data suggests that temporary closures were more common in rural areas compared with urban areas.
North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board appeared to be worst affected by temporary closures, it found.
Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “It’s clear that rising levels of closures are risking leaving some areas of the country as pharmacy deserts, with people having to travel much further to get access to vital services.
“Community pharmacies act as the front door to the NHS.
“If people lose access to them, it will force more patients into the 8 o’clock scramble at their GP surgery, putting pressure on the rest of our NHS system.
“1.6 million people a day visit their pharmacy but they are closing at a record rate, and millions of people are seeing the effect of that in their communities.”
Hallo Healthcare Group, a subsidiary of investment group Aurelius, sold all 1,054 high street and community pharmacies under the Lloyds Pharmacy branding in November last year.
Sources for the chain previously told The Sun that Hallo Healthcare had launched a strategic review of its entire UK store base.
Lloyds Pharmacy also shut all 237 of its pharmacies in Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
Asda brought the shutters down on seven of its chemists in August 2023.