High street Boots has shared plans to close down hundreds of stores in the coming months.
The store's parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance said in June 2023 that Boots would be closing down 300 pharmacy outlets in the UK within the year.
They added that closures are part of a money-saving scheme to save around £618 million.
The Pharmaceutical Journal reported that Boots has confirmed a few pharmacies set for closures but have not yet been closed but will cease trading by the end of summer 2024.
Boots to close 300 stores by the end of summer
Currently, across the UK there are more than 2,100 Boots stores still open, but Walgreens Boots Alliance shared in their financial statement for the last quarter that they would shut 650 Boots stores in the UK for cost-cutting measures.
Earlier in the year, Boots confirmed all the stores closing for the first part of 2024, with 581 branches closed by 31 May.
All the Boot stores closed in 2024 so far
Despite the new closures, Boots UK confirmed that they were already communicated in the plans and do not mean more pharmacy closures.
Commenting on the closures, Tim Wentworth, the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance said: “We continue to face a difficult operating environment, including persistent pressures on the US consumer and the impact of recent marketplace dynamics, which have eroded pharmacy margins.
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Interactive map shows all the Boot stores set to set in 2024
"Our results and outlook reflect these headwinds, despite solid performance in both our international and US healthcare segments.”
Adding: “Informed by our strategic review, we are focused on improving our core business: retail pharmacy, which is central to the future of healthcare. We are addressing critical issues with urgency and working to unlock opportunities for growth."
The brand added that is has been increasing its saving targets annually and said that it is "currently on track to achieve the savings target".
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