Boots Pharmacy in Jesmond permanently closed earlier this month – one of a number amidst nationwide closures for the pharmacy chain.

Boots announced in June of this year that 300 branches across the UK will close. The company added at the time that only branches with other stores nearby would be shut. These closures will decrease the total number of UK branches from 2,200 to around 1,900.

The nearest Boots branch for Jesmond residents following the closure of the St George’s Terrace store is now either Newcastle’s Northumberland Street store, or ones on Chillingham Road or Gosforth High Street.

In 2022, Boots recorded post-tax profits of £15 million, and these closures are expected to allow the chain to invest more money into individual stores. Boots has ensured that employees will not lose their jobs and will be transferred to nearby stores.

In Boots most recent report on its quarterly retail sales, the company has seen retail sales growth of 13.4%, the ninth consecutive quarter of market share growth. Pharmacy sales are also up, increasing by 5.7%, the best performance in six quarters.

Residents of Jesmond who spoke to JesmondLocal did not seem too bothered about the closure, with one resident saying that they “always used Medicentre next door anyway.”

Medicentre Chemists is next door to where Boots used to be, and sells prescriptions for local GPs, as well as a variety of hygiene and beauty products similar to those sold in Boots.

Another resident who volunteers in the Oxfam charity shop on St George’s Terrace told JesmondLocal that “she and her mum always went to the Boots in town as it is cheaper.”

An elderly resident commented that she “won’t miss the Boots” as they charged a £5 prescription delivery fee anyway.

However, not all residents were sanguine. Erin, a third-year politics student at Newcastle University, is worried that she cannot “pop into Boots anymore” and will now have to “get the Metro into town which will cost me more”.

Boots Press Office were approached to comment on this story, however they did not reply.