Leading health and beauty retailer Superdrug has announced plans to open 25 new "best-in-class" shops in 2025, which is expected to create around 600 new jobs.
The retailer said that the upcoming stores will focus on enhancing beauty treatments and luxury fragrance offerings in response to increasing consumer demand.
Superdrug, which currently operates 780 stores across the UK and Ireland, is also planning to refurbish 65 existing stores and expand several sites, including those in Luton and Dundee—some of which are likely to double in size.
The company highlighted that investment in its largest stores in recent years contributed to a 25% sales growth.
It has also expanded in-store beauty services, such as ear piercing, manicures, and eyebrow threading, to enhance customer experience.
While specific locations for the new stores have not yet been confirmed, Superdrug has indicated a focus on shopping destinations and retail park locations.
“We want everyone who enters Superdrug to feel an elevated customer experience,” said Nigel Duxbury, Superdrug’s property director.
“For us, this is not about a quick and easy purchase, it is about engaging customers with added extras that truly enrich their everyday lives.”
He added that investing in and increasing the number of large-format stores allows Superdrug to accelerate its bricks-and-mortar strategy and bring an enhanced shopping experience to more communities across the UK.
Superdrug reported its strongest-ever Christmas trading period in January, with like-for-like sales rising by 5.1% in the final weeks of 2024.
Last month, a new Superdrug store was opened in Leeds Briggate. More stores are reportedly coming up in Guernsey and Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, alongside a major expansion at Meadowhall, Sheffield.
Leadership groups from across the pharmacy sector need to work togetherPic credit: iStock