Boots hails strong festive period after record Black Friday sales

Boots praised a strong festive period after enjoying record Black Friday sales.

The UK’s leading chemist said sales in the three months to 30 November were 8.7 per cent higher than a year earlier.

That continued through Christmas, with sales up 15 percent in December over the same month in 2021.

Boss Seb James, 56, said the retailer was lifted by cash-strapped shoppers snapping up discounts.

According to him, customers were more open than ever to promotions, a trend that the drugstore expects to continue this year.

And he said shoppers were drawn to the value range, where sales rose more than a third in the quarter.

James said, ‘It’s interesting to see how people shop. They say, “I want a good conditioner or shampoo, I don’t have to go for expensive pants labels, but I’m going to buy something that’s good quality.”‘

The chain said its focus on value amid the rapidly rising cost of living faced by households is a “major driver of growth.”

Boots were also boosted by the return of workers to offices and the tourism resurgence, with visits to the city center and travel shops increasing. In-store transactions were 8 percent higher than in the same period a year ago.

The company was founded in Nottingham in 1849 by John Boot and sold herbal remedies. It now has 2,200 stores and approximately 51,000 employees.

The bumper quarter comes as it recovers from the pandemic, in which it suffered huge losses and cut thousands of jobs.