Boots kicks off strong, but faces cost hurdles
Nottingham-based retailer Boots reported a strong first quarter, driven by record breaking Black Friday and online sales growth.
For the three months ending 30 November 2024, sales rose 8.1% year-on-year, with growth across all categories and channels.
The Boots app also saw growth, reaching 8.1m active users, compared to 7.2m active users last year.
The firm said that Black Friday week was a ‘highlight’ for its first quarter results, with sales up 20% that week.
Boots.com achieved its biggest day of sales ever, processing nearly five orders per second at peak times.
Store sales across the year also showed strong performance, particularly in flagship health and beauty locations and travel stores.
Despite this Anthony Hemmerdinger has said the firm is now faced with heightened cost pressures in 2025 which it will tackle with “positive momentum.”
Hemmerdinger said: “Looking forward, we face heightened cost pressures in 2025 following the Autumn Budget, however with positive momentum behind us and a clear plan in place, the business is focused on navigating these and continuing to deliver long-term, sustainable growth.”
He added: “This is another strong set of financial results, with retail and pharmacy sales seeing significant uplift alongside market share gains and increased customer satisfaction scores. “
