The latest Boots store closures in Coventry and Warwickshire, with the struggling firm closing more stores

Retailer Boots is to close dozens of stores this year after a string of closures in Coventry and Warwickshire. It is pressing ahead with cost-cutting plans to close hundreds of branches, with the number of UK stores to be cut by around 300.

A number of branches in the city have already closed permanently, including Boots on Moseley Avenue, Daventry Road and Jardine Crescent. Stores have also closed in All Saints Market in Bedworth and Clock Towers Shopping Center in Rugby.

In June 2023, Walgreens Boots Alliance said it would close 300 UK pharmacies over the next year as part of plans to save £618m. Boots confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal that the small number of pharmacies to be closed will close for good by the end of 2024.

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On the Boots UK website, it says they currently have 2,100 stores in the UK. In its quarterly financial statement, Walgreens Boots Alliance said its cost-saving plan included closing “up to 650 Boots stores” in the UK.

It added that 581 of these stores had closed by 31 May 2024, with a further 69 set to close this year, YorkshireLive reports. All the remaining pharmacies to close are part of already announced plans and are not additional pharmacy closures, it is understood.

Tim Wentworth, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, said: “We continue to face a challenging operating environment, including persistent pressures on the US consumer and the impact of recent market dynamics, which have eroded pharmacy margins. Our results and outlook reflect these headwinds, despite solid performances in both our international and US segments.”

Mr Wentworth continued: “Informed by our strategic review, we are focused on improving our core retail pharmacy business, which is critical to the future of healthcare. We address critical issues with urgency and work to unlock opportunities for growth.”

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