// Boots sales rise in three months to 28 February 2023
// The health and beauty retailer said retail sales were up 16% during the period
Boots has posted a “strong performance” in the three months to 28 February 2023, following a busy Christmas trading and an increased demand for beauty products.
The health and beauty retailer said retail sales were up 16% during the period, while sales rose 17.4% in the five weeks to 31 December.
The business reported its eighth consecutive quarter of market share growth with gains across all categories, led by beauty.
Footfall, basket size and the number of Advantage Card customers all increased, as more people chose to shop at Boots.
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Footfall increased 16% in the quarter, with the number of items sold up versus the prior year.
Digital sales increased by 17%, now representing over 15% of retail sales. The Boots App saw growth of 65% over the period year on year, now representing over 25% of digital sales.
The beauty category saw premium beauty record its biggest ever sales week in December.
Skincare reported three consecutive weeks of record sales in December driven by the ‘expert skincare’ category in which brands including No7, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe and Eucerin proved popular.
Boots’ beauty transformation strategy continued with 19 new beauty halls opened in Q2 and the 170th store to receive a beauty makeover opening at Westfield White City post-period end.
The company further expanded its value offering in the quarter, announcing its biggest ever savings as part of its focus on value.
This included the addition of 60 new products to the Boots Everyday label as well as the extension of its Price Advantage scheme, which has to date resulted in £30 million of customer savings and now includes discounts on over 800 products every month.
Boots UK & ROI managing director, Sebastian James said: “More people are choosing to shop with Boots, largely thanks to our focus on value and our market leading beauty offer. This is reflected in our strong retail sales performance and our continuing market share growth, particularly in terms of Christmas trading.
“We also delivered an increase in pharmacy sales, despite the challenging sector backdrop. I would like to thank our wonderful team members for their continued hard work and focus on delivering for our customers.”
