Boots UK sales see 1.6% uptick in Q2

Boots UK sales have risen by 1.6% in the second quarter of trading, as owner Walgreens Boots Alliance saw Q2 sales rise 4.1% year-on-year to $38.6bn (£30bn).Boots UK comparable retail sales rose by 5.1% against the prior year, with growth reported across all categories.

Elsewhere, comparable pharmacy sales increased 5% on a constant currency basis compared with the same quarter the prior year. 

Boots.com sales soared by 19.5%, or 20.4 % on a constant currency basis, representing over 20% of Boots total retail sales.

Walgreens Boots Alliance saw overall second quarter sales for its International segment hit $6.1bn (£4.8bn), an increase of 0.6% from the year-ago quarter. On a constant currency basis, sales increased 4.1%.

International adjusted operating income fell by 4.7% to $234m (£183m) however, reflecting cost inflation primarily driven by payroll, along with technology investments, partially offset by strong retail performance in Boots UK.

CEO Tim Wentworth said: “Second quarter results reflect disciplined cost management and improvement in U.S. Healthcare, which were partially offset by weaker front-end results in U.S. Retail Pharmacy, while significant legal settlements resulted in continued negative free cash flow. 

“We remain in the early stages of our turnaround plan, and continue to expect that meaningful value creation will take time, enhanced focus and balancing future cash needs with necessary investments to navigate a changing pharmacy and retail landscape.”