UK loses three more high street pharmacies as Boots' store closing spree continues

Many more branches are at risk of closing in 2024, as the retailer is reducing its store portfolio to 1,900 from 2,200

Boots customers were left disappointed as the retail giant closed three more branches, two in Kent and one in Glasgow.

On Sunday 21 January, Boots’ branches in Cliftonville and Biggin Hill were closed, forcing locals to find an alternative pharmacy, Express.co.uk reported.

Cliftonville residents have taken to social media to express their disappointment over the closure of their local pharmacy on Northdown Road.

Even though there is another Boots branch in Margate, they said that Cliftonville branch is “much more accessible, with parking available right outside, on the bus route and surrounded by a residential area within easy walking distance."

One resident has branded the retailer's decision as "crazy", as per the news portal.

Earlier Boots bosses have told Kent Online that its strategy to consolidate the business would put stores with other branches nearby at risk of closure.

The Boots store in Margate town centre and another at Westwood Cross shopping centre, Broadstairs will continue to function.

It is understood that the retailer’s UK-wide closure of high street stores is prompted by a surge on sales on its digital platform.

A Boots pharmacy store in Glasgow has also put up a sign on the doors to let locals know that it has closed permanently.

Located on Queen Margaret Drive, in the west end area of the city, the branch stopped serving customers two months ago, according to The Scottish Sun.

The poster revealed that it was closed on 11 November 2023, and customers are told to visit the nearest store at 693 Great Western Road, Glasgow for collecting prescriptions, or other nearby stores on Byres Road and Argyle Street.

Lask weekend, the newspaper had reported the closure of two Boots shops, one on Cathcart Road, in the Govanhill area of Glasgow, and another branch in Lothian, as well as the store on Musselburgh’s North High Street on Saturday, January 13.

Many more branches are at risk of closing in 2024, as the retailer had announced its plan to reduce its store portfolio to 1,900 from 2,200.

One store in Pemberton, Wigan is scheduled to cease trading on January 26, while another branch in Littlehampton, West Sussex is likely to shut doors three days later on January 29.

The Boots pharmacy on Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire is also expected to be closed this month, though no exact date has been announced.

Express.co.uk have been told by a reader that a “well-frequented” Boots Pharmacy on Mosley Avenue Coventry is closing next month, without having any consultation with local people.