Boots’ parent company announced in June that it is looking to “reduce [its] store count by 8%” in the UK through an “optimisation programme” that will target around 200 loss-making pharmacies.

Since the announcement, it closed one pharmacy, located on Saintfield Road in south Belfast, on August 31, Boots confirmed to C+D today (September 9).

Another, on Belle Vue Street in Filey, Yorkshire, will close this autumn, and a third, in Cross Cheaping, Coventry, will close on October 5.

A branch on London road, Brighton, was due to be relocated, as the building is being redeveloped. However, Boots has been “unable to secure new premises, despite our best efforts”, so it will also close at the end of September.

The multiple is “looking to offer colleagues jobs in nearby stores”, it told C+D.

“We continually review our store locations”

Boots did not respond to C+D's request for confirmation that these four branches are part of the “store optimisation programme”. Instead, it said it closes pharmacies for a variety of reasons.

It “continually reviews” branch locations to “make sure they are where our customers need us most”, the multiple added.

“As is natural with a business of our size, we have stores opening, closing and relocating on a regular basis.”