Boots UK comparable retail sales increased by 8.7% year-on-year, on top of strong growth of 16.3% in the previous year.
Black Friday sales broke records and were the highest they’ve ever been for digital products.
The emphasis placed on value helped drive outstanding sales performance, with sales of Boots own brand basics increasing by more than a third. Sales on Boots.com doubled in comparison to pre-pandemic levels and now account for 18% of total retail sales.
Store footfall continues to rebound from COVID at a rapid speed, increasing by approximately 8%, leading the way for retail footfall in the UK.
Very robust Christmas business, with an increase in retail sales of roughly 15 percent.
It has delivered a strong performance in the first quarter that ended on November 30, 2022, continuing its impressive return to growth, with retail sales increasing and market share growing for the seventh consecutive quarter.
The impressive return to growth was evidenced by the fact that the company grew its market share.
Black Friday sales were the highest they had ever been, helping the company set a new all-time record for the day. Retail sales rose by 13% overall as well. On Black Friday, No. 7, Electrical Beauty, and Fragrance were among the top performing categories, which propelled the record-breaking overall performance.
The products that sold the most were the No7 Beauty Collection, the Benefit Gift Set, and the Paco Rabanne Fragrance.
Commitment to offering products that are both valuable and affordable for day-to-day necessities has been a primary driver of the company’s expansion. This includes the own-brand Everyday Essentials range, which saw sales increase by 35% and offers quality essential products for £1.50 or less; Price Advantage, which offers exclusive and best prices to Boots Advantage Card members; and Price Lock, which fixes the prices of essential health and beauty items.
As the recovery from COVID continues at a rapid rate, store visitation has increased, and in-store transactions have increased by 8%, outpacing retail footfall in the UK [1]. A return to the workplace and an increase in tourism were beneficial to the city center and travel retailers.
The rise of digital sales is continuing to outpace that of the market and currently accounts for 18% of the total purchases made in retail. The app experienced a phenomenal increase in growth of 26% and now accounts for more than a quarter of sales on boots.com.
It continues to improve its beauty experience by introducing additional premium beauty and spa brands within the quarter and opening an additional 19 new beauty halls. This brings the total number of new or renovated beauty halls to approximately 150 across the UK.
Early indications show that Boots had a successful Christmas season, with retail sales growth of approximately 15% compared to the same period last year in December 2021. Although December trading will form part of Q2 results, which will be reported in the spring, these results are not yet available. In addition to the rise in sales of over-the-counter medicines, cold remedies, and immune system boosters, successful key categories included gifting, beauty, and fragrance products.
The Managing Director of Boots UK & ROI, Sebastian James, stated that “it has been another great quarter for Boots. Retail sales have increased for the seventh consecutive quarter, and the company’s market share has grown as well. This is a direct result of our efforts to provide our customers with the best possible value in an effort to alleviate the effects of rising costs of living, as well as our ongoing investments in our digital capability and in modernizing our store estate.
Our performance on Black Friday and during the Christmas season was especially satisfying, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the staff for the enormous effort they put in to bring our consumers genuinely amazing discounts.
About Boots:
Boots is the UK’s leading health and beauty retailer. Its mission is to be the first choice for health and beauty, caring for people, customers, and communities everywhere.
With over 51,000 team members and over 2,200 stores, ranging from local community pharmacies to large destination health and beauty stores, Boots serves its customers and patients’ wellbeing for life.
Boots is the UK’s number one beauty destination and largest pharmacy chain providing dispensing and essential healthcare services, and it offers an unrivaled depth and breadth of product offering, including its innovative portfolio of brands, including No7, the UK’s No1 skincare brand, Soap & Glory, Liz Earle, Sleek MakeUP, and YourGoodSkin. For over 170 years, it has listened, learned, and innovated, and it continues to challenge itself to improve its products and services every day.
Walgreens Boots Alliance, which is a global leader in pharmacy-led health and wellbeing retail, More company information is available on boots-uk.com.
