BOOTS has issued another update on its store closure plans after previously announcing that 300 chemists would shut for good. The health and beauty chain announced last year that it would close hundreds of branches. It comes just a week after the chain confirmed the progress of these plans .
But in a fresh update, Boots told The Sun that 257 stores have now shut. This means that a further 43 shops are set to close in the coming months. And Boots has now confirmed that all remaining stores marked for closure will have shut for good by the beginning of October.
While it wouldn't disclose a full list of store closures coming ahead of this date, it said that most will take place when an affected store's lease expires. It also said that most stores marked for closure are located to other Boots branches nearby. Over the past year, Boots has shut around 257 shops to take its store estate from around 2,200 down to 1,900 sites.
Last month, 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 on the back of stronger footfall in i.