Beauty gifts and fragrances were top sellers in the run up to Christmas, Boots the Chemist has confirmed. Alliance Boots, a private equity owned company, said shoppers shrugged off the freezing conditions and helped boost underlying sales 2.8% in this year’s 12 week lead up to Christmas.
Boosted by new acquisitions and mergers in Turkey & Germany, Boots saw its Health & Beauty divisions revenues increase by 1.4% – while its b2b wholesale division increased sales to rival chemists by a massive 24.4%.
Bought in 2007 by a by billionaire Stefano Pessina with backing from private equity firm Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts for over £12bn, boots has benefitted from the cold snap, seeing a 3.1% increase in dispensing volumes at its pharmacies across the countries, despite many other household names such as MotherCare, Clinton Cards, HMV and others issuing profit warnings to stockholders as a result of the arctic conditions.
Writing to his staff, former failed Halifax/Bank of Scotland Director laid out the increased sales in an internal letter. Hornby, who is currently being investigated by Deloitte & the Financial Services Authority for his role at HBOS, was said to be pleased by the Christmas sales figures.