The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7240 p360
15 March 2003

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Mintel (www.mintel.com)

Boots keeps its spot as biggest health retailer in Europe

Boots The Chemists remains the biggest health and beauty retailer in Europe despite its failure to expand outside the United Kingdom and Ireland, according to market research company Mintel.

In the UK, Boots takes over 33 per cent of specialist health and beauty sales, which Mintel says reflects the wide distribution of its 1,300 branches. Almost half of all adult consumers go to Boots for basic toiletries, over one-third for cosmetics and 40 per cent to buy non-prescription medicines.

In its latest report on European health and beauty retailing, Mintel forecasts that the UK's four largest supermarket chains (Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Safeway) will "accelerate pharmacy installation, constrained only by the availability of pharmacists" if pharmacy deregulation occurs. It notes that while there has been some high-profile price cutting on non-prescription medicines, "this has mainly been to establish credentials as 'shopper champions' rather than initiating wide-ranging price cuts in the area".

The report says that a convenient location is the major factor in terms of where people buy health care products. This ranks higher than the ability to get advice from a pharmacist, the range of products available and well above their price.

Health and beauty retailing in Europe, Mintel, 18–19 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PL, price £1,495 (tel 020 7606 4533).