Could one of Stratford’s Boots stores be among 300 set to close?

HIGH Street chemists Boots has said it will shut 300 of its stores across Britain over the next year.

The retailer said the move will impact stores in close proximity to other sites and will reduce its store estate from 2,200 to 1,900 stores.

While the sites of the proposed closures have yet to be announced, Stratford is a town with two stores in close proximity – one branch on Bridge Street and another at the Maybird Centre on the Birmingham Road.

Boots said there are no proposed redundancies despite the closures, with plans to redeploy affected workers.

A Boots spokeswoman said: “Evolving the store estate in this way allows Boots to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up-to-date environment.”

Boots last week revealed a surge in online shoppers and people opting for own-brand labels has driven up sales over the latest quarter.

Retail sales across Boots jumped by 13.4 per cent in the three months to the end of May, compared to the same period last year.