Boots 'mulling 200 store closures'

Boots is reportedly mulling plans to close more than 200 stores as tough trading conditions continue to take their toll on the UK High Street.

According to Sky News, US conglomerate Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is considering the closure of stores as part of a review of the company’s store estate over the next two years.

Discussions are said to be ongoing, with no final decision made yet, but a “significant” number were likely to be shut.

A spokesperson for Boots said the company was not currently envisaging a major programme for store closures, but added that the company was “realistic about the future and that we will need to be agile to adapt to the changing landscape”.

The company’s store estate currently stands at around 2,500 shops, employing around 56,000 people.

The spokesperson continued: “As is natural with a business of our size, we have stores opening, closing and relocating on a regular basis, but we have had around 2,500 stores open for several years now.

“In fact we’re investing in our stores – last year, we completed a huge merchandising project to update our self-selection cosmetics areas in 2,200 of our stores.”

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