Boots has announced the closure of ‘290’ stores across the UK, as part of its cost-saving measures. The parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, revealed its plans to shut down stores in an effort to save £618 million. The closures have affected major branches in locations like London, Gloucestershire, and York. The company had initially stated its intention to close up to 650 outlets. The CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Tim Wentworth, highlighted the challenging operating environment and the need to focus on the core business of retail pharmacy. The closures are expected to be completed by the end of next month.
The wave of closures at Boots comes at a time when several other businesses are also shuttering their high street branches, with at least 292 bank branches, such as Lloyds Bank and Halifax, among those set to close. Reports suggest that Boots is on track to achieve its savings target. While the full list of 300 store closures has not been officially released, The Sun has compiled a list of 246 reported closures.
The list includes stores across various regions, such as Lancashire, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Essex, West Midlands, Birmingham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Middlesbrough, Tyneside, Northumberland, Durham, Tyne & Wear, Cleveland, Carlisle, Gateshead, and many more. The closures also extend to areas like Leicester, London, Kent, Surrey, Devon, Somerset, Nottingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, and many other locations.
In other news, a three-month-old baby tragically died following a medical episode at a house in Cardiff. In a separate incident, a farmer took matters into his own hands after fly-tippers left a massive pile of rubbish on his land. They are just some of the varied stories making headlines in Wales recently.