Boots to close 48 opticians but no word if Bedford is included

In a shock announcement, Walgreens, the parent company of Boots, have announced they are closing 48 opticians across the country.

They’ll also make 4,000 people redundant in optician teams, head office and stores.

There’s no word yet which of their opticians will be closed. Bedford’s Boots Opticians is based in their town centre store, they have another store at the Interchange Retail Park.

Walgreens blames coronavirus for the move.

“The adverse impact of COVID-19 on sales in the quarter was approximately $700 million to $750 million, with the majority of the impact related to the Retail Pharmacy International division,” said a statement from the company.

“This reflected a dramatic reduction in footfall in Boots UK stores – down 85 percent in April – as consumers were advised to leave home only for food and medicine.”

Meanwhile John Lewis is shutting eight stores, putting 1,300 jobs at risk. It has been confirmed their store in Milton Keynes is not part of this closure plan.

More to follow…

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