Boots benefits from record breaking beauty performance
Boots saw its retail sales climb by 16% in the three months to 28 February as it benefited from busy Christmas trading and a record-breaking performance in its beauty category.
The retailer said footfall, basket size and its number of Advantage Card customers all increased in the period.
Sales in the five weeks to 31 December were particularly strong with an uplift of 17.4%. The retailer’s skincare category achieved three consecutive weeks of record sales in December driven by the popularity of brands such as No7, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe and Eucerin.
Boots opened 19 new beauty halls in the period. It also expanded its value offering with the addition of 60 new products to the Boots Everyday label and an extension of its Price Advantage scheme.
While footfall increased by 16% in the period, online sales rose by 17% and now account for over 15% of retail sales.
Sebastian James, managing director of Boots UK & ROI, said: “More people are choosing to shop with Boots, largely thanks to our focus on value and our market leading beauty offer. This is reflected in our strong retail sales performance and our continuing market share growth, particularly in terms of Christmas trading.
“We also delivered an increase in pharmacy sales, despite the challenging sector backdrop. I would like to thank our wonderful team members for their continued hard work and focus on delivering for our customers.”
