Boots confirms up to 200 stores will be affected by closure programme with pharmacies hit hardest

Boots confirms up to 200 stores will be affected by its closure programme with local pharmacies hit hardest

  • High street health and beauty retailer to close 200 stores across the country
  • Pharmacy branches most like to be axed where other stores are nearby
  • Company plans to maintain a 90 per cent coverage of country within a 10-minute drive

Boots has confirmed that its store closure programme will affect around 200 locations, primarily local pharmacies.

The retail chain said its owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, has now approved a plan which will see primarily local pharmacy branches shut down in locations where there are other stores nearby.

It is unclear how many jobs will be affected by the move, with Boots promising to find new roles for staff where possible.

Retail chain Boots has said its owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, has now approved a plan which will see primarily local pharmacy branches shut down in locations where there are other stores nearby

The news comes just days after the company unveiled a new-look store in Covent Garden that is the first ditch single-use plastic bags which it hopes will inspire the future model of the business.

Sebastian James, managing director of Boots UK and Ireland, said: ‘We believe this is the right thing to do as it means that we can invest more in staffing those stores while not reducing our 90 per cent coverage within a 10-minute drive of a Boots.

‘We do not anticipate a significant effect from this activity to colleagues as we will redeploy the overwhelming majority to neighbouring stores.’

The news comes just days after the company unveiled a new-look store in Covent Garden that is the first ditch single-use plastic bags which it hopes will inspire the future model of the business

The news comes just days after the company unveiled a new-look store in Covent Garden that is the first ditch single-use plastic bags which it hopes will inspire the future model of the business

The changes are part of wide-ranging cost reduction plans by Walgreens, which on Thursday revealed its profits had been hit by declining retail sales in the US and UK.

Usdaw, the union for retail workers, called for the company to enter talks and said it was ‘worrying’ news for employees.

National officer Daniel Adams said: ‘We urge the company to engage with Usdaw as the trade union for Boots retail staff to ensure that all avenues to minimise job losses are explored during this critical time.

‘This issue is not confined to Boots; our high streets are in crisis and we need the Government to adopt a clear and coherent strategy for retail, to address the worries and concerns of shop workers and our members.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk