• Boots is preparing for potentially the busiest high street shopping week of the year as lockdown restrictions in England end today
• Expecting to welcome thousands of post-lockdown Christmas shoppers,Boots extends opening hours in over 300 stores across the UK to help customers shop safely, offering more than 3,000 additional shopping hours to help customers find those perfect gifts

Despite Black Friday breaking records with almost four million customers visiting boots.com on one day, Bootsis expecting Christmas shoppers to flock to high streets and shopping centres once again to shop locally for their loved ones.

It is extending opening hours in over 300 stores across the UK, and more colleagues than usual will also be on hand to support customers to shop safely in all tiers this festive season.

Named one of the safest stores to visit on the high street¹, Boots colleagues are sharing their top tips to help customers visit the high street with confidence:

 

• “Make sure you have your face covering and hand sanitiser when out and about. It’s good practice to sanitise your hands between each shop you visit, and we have hand sanitising stations available at the majority of the entrances in our stores” Mitchell, Boots Customer Advisor
• “Make sure you follow the one way systems, which will help you to socially distance from other shoppers” Tom, Boots Customer Advisor
• “Preparation – have a look online before you come into store, Boots has a store/product checker so you can make sure that what you’re looking for is in stock. We have also launched an online gift guide this Christmas, so you can do most of your browsing from the comfort of home, planning ahead and writing a shopping list before heading into store” Daisy, No7 Advisor
• “Ask for help – don’t be afraid to ask one of our store team for help, they’ll be able to help you quickly and safely find that perfect gift” Jessica, Boots Customer Advisor
•  “At the weekend, shops will typically be busier, so where you can, try and shop outside of peak hours, early in the morning or later in the evening – many of our stores will have extended shopping hours so you can shop later in the run up to Christmas” Maria, Boots Customer Advisor
• “Stay safe and well – make sure you are keeping yourself safe and well this year. Alongside washing your hands thoroughly and regularly throughout the day, and following social distancing measures, you can support a healthy immune system by taking a daily vitamin D supplement, having a healthy, balanced diet and making sure you’re getting enough sleep” Sammy, Boots Assistant Manager

Tracey Clements, Chief Operating Officer at Boots, commented; “With lockdown easing in some areas of the UK today, for many, this is the real start of Christmas. Our shops have been open throughout the pandemic, so our colleagues are experts in helping you to shop safely and with confidence.

“To ensure a safe shopping experience we are extending the opening hours in 301 of our stores in England and will increase staffing in key cities. In the next 23 days until Christmas Day, we will have over 3,000 more hours for our customers who want to shop for those perfect gifts.”

The top Christmas gifts predicted to fly of Boots shelves this year are fragrances, stocking fillers, home spas (for self-buyers) and smaller value gifts. With customers looking to thank those in their communities who have made a difference in their lives this year, Boots has a wide range of Christmas gifts under £10. It also expects there to be a significant rise in families stocking up on quizzes and games for their maximum of five days together.

Extra Christmas employees will also support picking from stores to support increased demand on boots.com.

For details of your nearest pharmacy or store opening times visit boots.com/store-locator.