A major pharmacy chain is closing all of its branches inside supermarkets today after an initial plan to close later this year has been brought forward. All 237 Lloyds Pharmacy branches in Sainsbury's stores across the UK will close their doors by the end of the day today (June 13), according to Pharmacy Business magazine.
The closures were originally planned to be phased out over the next year, but have now been accelerated in a drastic move. It comes after an earlier announcement blamed "changing market conditions" for the decision, which is thought to put 2,000 jobs at risk across the UK.
It also follows a major restructuring operation at the business, which is the UK's second-largest chain of chemists behind Boots. Multinational private equity firm Aurelius purchased Lloyds Pharmacy from Sainsbury's last year, reports The Mirror.
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A spokesperson from LloydsPharmacy told Pharmacy Business: “In January 2023 LloydsPharmacy announced the withdrawal of pharmacy services from all Sainsbury’s stores, to take place throughout 2023.
"It can now confirm that any remaining branches within the Sainsbury’s estate will close by 13th June 2023.”
“Throughout the process, LloydsPharmacy has been committed to helping patients easily find a suitable alternative provision. It has kept patients informed of when services from their specific pharmacy will end so that they can transfer their nominations as needed.”
Earlier this year, Lloyds Pharmacy were also reported to be considering closures of some standalone stores, but these are not affected by today's announcement.
Unlike its High Street rivals Boots and Superdrug, which offer a range of health and beauty products, Lloyds Pharmacy is more reliant on its pharmacy dispensing business amid a challenging time for the sector. This accounts for approximately 87 per cent of its sales, according to The Grocer magazine.
At the time of the previous announcement, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “LloydsPharmacy is withdrawing pharmacy services from our stores over the coming months. We will work with them to ensure customers are clear on how they can access an alternative pharmacy provision to meet their needs.”
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