Boots sales fall 10% in first half

Boots Opticians has seen sales tumble to £100.4m, 8 per cent down on the £109m figure for the same period last year.
The company blamed the 'highly competitive market in opticians and eye care' for the loss. Boots' Lasik offer continues to feel the effect of adverse publicity which hit the headlines earlier this year.
Newcomer segment Dentalcare and Other Services, which is reported with the optical results, was up 7 per cent to £23m. This gave a combined total of £123.4m, or a 5 per cent fall in growth, 4 per cent fall in like-for-like growth and a loss of £5.5m.
There has been much change at Boots over the past six months, with the announcement of 500 head office staff departing and the rationalisation of the optical labs in the summer (News, June 13). There has also been the franchise programme roll-out (News, June 20) and it aims to open more practices in edge of town locations.
In another development there are plans to 'integrate Boots Opticians into Boots the Chemists', to achieve synergies within the Boots Group.
Speaking about the group as a whole, chairman Nigel Rudd said: 'In the past, Boots has performed steadily. But this is a business that for all sorts of reasons and distractions has failed to punch its brand and franchise weight.'