Question mark over chemist's Highland future

NO alarm bells are sounding about the future of Boots long-established stores in the Highlands, including Aviemore and Kingussie, despite reports that the best known UK high street chemist is set to close some 200 branches.

The firm's US owners, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), have been reported as considering a business review over the next 12 to 18 months which would see stores shut in a cost saving move.

Boots has around 2500 stores in the UK, with the cuts are expected to fall in locations served by more than one branch.

The Highland capital has two Boots stores, serving both the Eastgate Centre and Inverness Shopping Park, as well as an optician on Eastgate and a Boots pharmacy on Southside Road in Crown.

Elgin also has multiple Boots branches with stores on Elgin High Street and at Springfield Retail Park, as well as a High Street optician branch and a pharmacy at Grassgreen Health Centre.

There are also single stores in Aviemore, Dingwall, Fort William, Kingussie, Nairn, Ullapool, Forres and Wick, and pharmacies in Fortrose and Invergordon.

Boots would not confirm cuts are planned, but released a statement saying: "We do not have a major programme arranged, but as you'd expect, we always review under-performing stores and seek out opportunities for consolidation."

However, Eastgate Centre manager Jackie Cuddy was confident the city centre store would survive.

"No alarm bells are sounding," she said.

"To be honest, we are not overly worried. Our Boots is well established. They have more premier brands than any other Boots store in the region and the pharmacy services many of the care homes around the Highlands. There have been no emails flying around and I've heard nothing at all."

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