SHUTTERS DOWN
‘It stinks’, shoppers cry as over a dozen Boots stores to disappear from high streets across the UK in weeks
Growing concern over impact of closures across UK
SHOPPERS have blasted "it stinks" as more than a dozen Boots stores close down in the UK in just a few weeks.
The pharmacy chain has announced plans to cull stores across the UK as the health and beauty chain adjusts to challenging conditions on the high street.
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But the decision to close nearly all of its Plymouth pharmacies has led to furious shoppers lashing out.
Plymouth MP Luke Pollard hit out at the retailer, saying: "Boots are putting profits before people and it stinks.
"I want to see alternative providers take over these pharmacies if Boots insists on shutting them down."
Cllr Mary Aspinall, Cabinet Member for Health on Plymouth City Council, said: "Each of the pharmacies Boots plan to close are incredibly important to the local communities they serve - many in high-need areas.
";It would be a huge blow for patients in Plymouth to lose them."
There has also been disquiet over plans by Boots to shut shops in other parts of the country.
A proposal to close a store in Bryn, Wigan, has led to particular concern.
Paul Woods, who is disabled and partially sighted, said: "It's devastating. This Boots is at the hub of the local community and always extremely busy.
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";It is also the end user for the vast majority of prescriptions issued by Bryn Cross Surgery, which is directly next door."
David Jones, who represents Clwyd West in North Wales, said he was "dismayed" two branches will close in 2024.
The pharmacy chain is pulling down the shutters on its site in Rhos on Sea in March next year. The retailer will then close its shop in Colywn Bay the following month.
In a statement, MP David Jones branded the closures "hugely bad news for the local community".
He said: "This is not a case of simple shop closures.
Where are the closures happening?
Here is the full list of stores closing in the New Year:
- Cliftonville, Kent - January 20
- Pemberton, Wigan - January 26
- Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire - to close in January
- Front Street, Prudhoe - no date
- Rhos on Sea - March 2024
- Colwyn Bay - April 2024
- Portland Walk, Barrow - no date
- Gestridge Road, Teignbridge - no date
- Caerleon Road, Newport - to close in early 2024
- Chepstow Road, Newport - to close in early 2024
- Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall - to close in early 2024
- St Blazey, Cornwall - to close in early 2024
- Lurgan - no date
- Chard Road, Plymouth - no date
- Mannamead Road, Plymouth - no date
- Claremont Street, Plymouth - no date
The stores that have already closed in 2023 are as follows:
- Salford Shopping Centre, Greater Manchester - February 2023
- Church Street, Malvern - March 11
- The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere - March 11
- King William Street, London - June 2
- Heathside Road, Woking - end of July
- UEA campus - end of July
- Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff - August 1
- Holywell, Flintshire (Wales) - August 26
- Windhill Road, Wakefield - October 6
- Upper Warrengate, Wakefield - October 7
- Glastonbury - October 13
- Uppingham Road, Leicester - October 13
- Guildford Road, Woking - end of October
- Kings Square, York - October 28
- Warminster - October 28
- Gorleston, Great Yarmouth - November
- High Row, Darlington - November 3
- Mudge Way, Plymouth - November 18
- Mount Pleasant, Exeter - November 18
- Kirkby Ashfield - November 18
A total of 20 branches have already closed, in Leicester, York, Plymouth and Exeter.
And a further 16 are set to close shortly, with several shutting in the New Year.
The health and beauty chain has said where stores are closing there is an alternative shop less than three miles away.
In 2020, Boots announced 48 opticians were closing with the loss of 4,000 jobs. They said the decision to close stores was not taken lightly.
Boots last closed more than 200 stores over 18 months in 2019.
This saw roughly eight per cent of Boots high street branches close.
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Many of the stores shut because they were loss-making and two-thirds of them were within walking distance of each other.
A spokesperson for Boots previously said: "Evolving the store estate in this way allows Boots to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up-to-date environment."
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