Boots plays down talk of practice closures

Boots Opticians has moved to defuse fears that it is planning an imminent closure of 100 of its stand-alone stores following an interview with Richard Baker, Alliance Boots' CEO in last Saturday's Financial Times.

The article said that 100 opticians would be closed down and relocated into larger shops but did not report, said Boots Opticians, Baker's admission that he was not close enough to the detail to know exactly how many would move.

Boots Opticians said Baker spoke at length about how healthcare was central to the Boots The Chemists offer and Boots Opticians was part of the integrated offer. But Boots Optician's managing director Elizabeth Fagan said: 'The throwaway treatment of Richard's comments meant the article missed the key message, the commitment to making opticians a key part of the healthcare offer with Boots Opticians.'