Local people have been left disappointed by the recent closure of Boots pharmacies across the Merseyside area, with more to follow.
Well-known health and beauty retailer Boots announced last year that 300 pharmacy stores will be closing their doors for good.
Over 280 stores have been gradually closed over the last 12 months, with the remainder of the closures to take place at the end of October this year.
Ten of these closures which have already taken place are spread across Merseyside, including sites on London Road, Castle Street and Smithdown Place.
In a statement released by Walgreens Boots Alliance in June 2023, it was announced that the closure of 300 Boots pharmacies is due to a strategy to save money.
These closures are estimated to save the company £618m.
Although 300 stores will be closed permanently by the end of October 2024, from the Boots UK website it states, “We have 1,200 stores … 85% of the UK population is within 10 minutes of a Boots store.” You can find out more here.
These closures have had an effect on local customers because now they are in a position where they could have to travel further to shop for health and beauty essentials alongside collecting any prescriptions if they are unable to get them delivered.
One local customer, Janet Hughes, 67, of Boots Edge Lane expressed to Mersey News Live that the closures have already affected her “It’s affected when I get my tablets … I now have to them delivered. I’m glad this one is still open, but I used both.”
Another customer, Chloe Roberts told MNL “I didn’t know that so many stores had closed at all. If this one [Boots Edge Lane Retail Park] was to close, I probably wouldn’t go all that much.”
Speaking to Andy Mushet, Store Manager of Boots Edge Lane Retail Park, he said “At the moment, the process has been completed of the store closures … all store closures were done on a profitability basis.”
He also said that no jobs have been lost from the store closures that he had any involvement in. “All of the closures I was involved in, staff were relocated to different sites.”
Although multiple Boots locations have now closed their doors for good, they still have multiple locations across Merseyside where you can access a pharmacy in-store, which can be found here.
Featured image (c) Ffion Roberts
