Boots UK sales surge 16.3% in Q1

Boots delivered strong UK sales growth of 16.3% in Q1, Walgreen Boots Alliance’s (WBA) latest fiscal 2022 first quarter earnings have revealed.

During the first fiscal quarter ending 30 November 2021, comparable pharmacy sales increased 8.8%, reflecting stronger demand for pharmacy services and sales up more than 200% year-on-year.

Comparable retail sales also increased 16.3%, reflecting a recovery in footfall and strong commercial execution, with digital sales in the first quarter almost doubling compared with the equivalent quarter pre-Covid-19. Boots.com sales now account for more than 15% of total retail sales.

According to the retailer, it was a “strong quarter” for the business, underpinned by robust execution across all of WBA’s business segments including international and particularly Boots, which delivered strong sales growth in retail and pharmacy.

Retail pharmacy international Q1 sales at £4.2b, an increase of 35.8% from Q1 ’21 and up 34.2% on a constant currency basis.

Boots also said its market share strengthened across all categories, with Christmas performance seeing market share growth in December, despite challenging trading conditions due to Omicron.

Seb James, managing director of Boots UK and Republic of Ireland, said: “Boots delivered another strong performance this quarter with both retail and pharmacy sales continuing to increase year on year, along with very encouraging market share growth.

“Our transformation continues as planned with investment, particularly in digital, our beauty portfolio and healthcare services, aiding a fast-paced recovery from the pandemic. This is also driving strong market share gains from both traditional and new competitors. Digital sales are almost double what they were two years ago.”

He added: “Covid restrictions continue to create headwinds for the UK high street but we remain focused on delivering for our customers. I want to thank all our team members for their continued extraordinary efforts.”