Boots to close more stores in 2024 before 300 locations shut for good - is your local pharmacy on the list? (2024)

FAQs

Are Boots pharmacies closing down? ›

The retailer is continuing with its plans to shut hundreds of UK stores, after announcing plans to cut its store estate by around 300 in 2023 and 2024. Boots will reduce its 2,200 store estate to around 1,900, in a move to concentrate team members “where they are needed”.

Boots is among the retailers that are preparing to carry out a wave of store closures in 2024 in a blow to shoppers. The pharmacy first announced plans to slash its retail portfolio from 2,000 to 1,900.

Boots is one of the largest retailers in the UK and Ireland, both in terms of revenue and the number of shops. It has 2,200 shops across the United Kingdom and Ireland ranging from local pharmacies to large health and beauty shops in 2022.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.

(WBA) is an American multinational holding company headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, which owns the retail pharmacy chains Walgreens in the US and Boots in the UK, as well as several pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies.

Among the reasons for store closures are rising drug prices, lower staff enrollment, and historic opioid lawsuits, which have impacted each company's financial standing.

Walgreens completes its acquisition of the New York-based Duane Reade drugstore chain. Walgreens acquires a 45 percent stake in Alliance Boots, taking the first step in the strategic partnership to create the first global pharmacy- led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

The US parent company of Boots has revived plans to offload the UK's biggest pharmacy chain. Walgreens Boots Alliance, which abandoned a £5bn sale of Boots and its related No7 Beauty brand last year, is reportedly exploring options including an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

About Us. Established in 1849 by the Boots family, Boots is the UK's No. 1 health and beauty retailer. The early success of Boots was due to its high quality products at affordable prices.

Newport among Boots stores closing in early 2024

North Wales is also set to lose two Boots stores, one in March and the other in April, in Rhos-on-Sea and Colwyn Bay.

The CEO, Seb James, said the employees – who had been asked to work at least three days a week in the group's various bases in Nottingham, Weybridge in Surrey, and London – should return for the full working week, arguing that the office was a “much more fun and inspiring place” with everyone in attendance.

What brands does Boots own? ›

Boots boasts many much-loved own brands, including 17 and Soltan, alongside No7 Beauty Company's world-class portfolio of brands including No7, Liz Earle Beauty Co., Botanics, YourGoodSkin, Sleek MakeUP and Soap & Glory.

Boots saw its post-tax profits improve by £126 million and operating profit increase by £47 million in the 12 months to August 31, 2022 having endured heavy losses in the previous year, according to Companies House.

In a move to 'consolidate the business', the retailer plans to reduce its total number of shops in the UK from 2,200 to 1,900. In other words, a whopping total of 300 Boots will eventually be axed. We already saw a wave of closures in 2023 and even more have been confirmed for 2024.

Name. The company was founded as the Walgreen Drug Co., and did business under that name from 1901 to 1931. It was known as Walgreen Drug Stores from 1931 to 1948, and Walgreen's from 1948 to 1955. In 1955 the apostrophe was dropped from the name on retail outlets, which began using the "Walgreens" name.

Walgreens bought Boots in 2014, but it has come under pressure to sell the British firm to focus on its US business. Boots sales in the last quarter were 3% higher than for the same period last year.

In July Boots announced it will close 48 opticians and cut 4,000 jobs after being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. The decision comes after retail sales tumbled by 48% in the face of the pandemic, despite Boots keeping swathes of its stores open to customers.

Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the largest drugstore chains in the U.S. and has strong market positions in Europe and Latin America.

A 2022 survey conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association reported that more than 70% of pharmacies were struggling to fill staff positions.

We are at the centre of community pharmacy and are a key partner to the NHS.