Boots considering plans to close up to 200 of its UK stores

Soldato
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Man of Honour
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I wondered how long they could weather the prices other places were managing. Shame.

Also some places seemed to have managed some dubious exclusives (or seemingly just bought up all the stock so as to control prices maybe) on stuff Boots used to stock so that you had to go elsewhere :|
 
Caporegime
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Boots have a decent online presence. I think that Renting a huge building and paying 100 staff per locale is the real killer.
When you are making 3% to 5% profit per sale.

Its just impossible to turn a profit tbh.
 

A2Z

A2Z

Soldato
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Earth
Sad news, use Boots all the time for my toilet stuff, normally there is some sort of deal on.

Always handy for a quick meal deal as well, especially when you know the time they reduce everything to 50p.
 
Soldato
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Suprised the've lasted this long, their pharmacy is a pull but their prices have always been steep and with online shopping they're doomed.

Only supermarkets, coffee shops, pound shops and charity shops left.
 
Man of Honour
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Sad :(

I always found boots competitively priced for most things. Not sure I have ever gone in there and thought ‘hmm this is expensive’. That’s only really buying nick-nacks, medicine and sun cream though.

I think people are prepared to spend a little more on a local shop to support the business but unfortunately nobody cares in the same manner for big brands... until they are gone :/
 
Caporegime
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Don’t use boots either, it’s ridiculously expensive.

I’ve never been one for spending money on washing stuff. When I need it, i just go in savers and pick up shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and shaving foam for about a fiver. Job done.
 
Soldato
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So many big chains struggling at the minute.

The problem for a lot of the bigger chains is that over the decades they grew floor space by opening more and more shops. In some places there are 2 or even 3 boots stores within a 10-15 minute walk.

10-15 years ago that might not have been much of a problem. But now there's more competition, big chains need to start looking at closing stores that don't make them any money. Otherwise it's almost like a debt that spirals out of control - and very quickly.
 
Soldato
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its a shame, living in nottingham and boots being founded here there is quite a few in the area. We have a massive one 2 minutes down the road from us and never had an issue with prices really.

A bit of a weird one but they also offer one of the best meal deals :p
 
Associate
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Cotswolds
The real killer, that nobody has mentioned, is the crippling business rates. The one here (in Cirencester) has an RV of £147,000 so they're paying about £70,000 a year in rates plus their rent and other bills. Times £70k x 200 store closures (I just checked the one in Sutton, Surrey - RV is a huge £347,500 so about £175k payable...) and you've just saved £14m a year on tax based on just £70k payable. Plus rent, wages, pensions etc. The savings are probably £100m+ a year...seems a sensible no brainer to me especially in places that, for some reason, have multiple stores on the same high street.

This is why HoF and many others are going, or have gone, belly up and the government simply aren't listening. Business rates are a hustle that needs controlling better as it's simply crippling the high streets...the sad thing is, every shop that closes is turning into either another damn charity shop (who are rates exempt) or another overpriced pretentious coffee shop which isn't needed.
 
Commissario
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23 Nov 2004
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Herts
A big shame, the one at Euston station closed a couple of weeks ago and that was always busy.

Surprised WHSmith is still going.
 
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