Pharmacy chain Boots plans to cut 4,000 jobs and close 48 optician stores in the UK, in the latest major blow to the country's retail sector from the Covid-19 crisis.
A company spokesman said that Boots stores in the Republic of Ireland will not be affected by the job cuts. UK brands ranging from John Lewis to Topshop to Harrods have announced thousands of job cuts in the last two weeks after the pandemic forced customers to shop online.
Many customers remained reluctant to return to the high street even as lockdown restrictions eased. Walgreens Boots Alliance, the US-listed owner of the retailer, said today its most significant Covid-19 impact had come in Britain, with footfall down 85% in April and Boots UK recording a third-quarter