• Boots is celebrating 125 years in Wales since its first store opening in Swansea in 1896
• Boots hosted a celebratory event at The Senedd in Cardiff with attendees including Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething MS and other Government Ministers
• Speakers, including Director of Healthcare and Head of Stores for Wales from Boots,  outlined the proud heritage of Boots in Wales and what its next chapter will look like
• Today, Boots has over 100 stores in Wales across pharmacy, opticians and retail formats as well as the Boots Hearingcare headquarters in Llandudno

Boots celebrated 125 years in Wales since the first store opened in Swansea in 1896 at a special event on Tuesday, October 11 at The Senedd in Cardiff.

The anniversary event was attended by Welsh ministers including Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething MS, Boots Director of Healthcare Jamie Kerruish, and Boots Head of Stores in Wales Andy Francis, as well as representatives from Macmillan – a charity partner of Boots. They outlined the proud heritage Boots has in Wales and its exciting future in the Welsh healthcare and retail landscape.

Andy Francis, Head of Stores Wales, Merseyside & West Midlands at Boots said: “The founding principles of Boots over 175 years ago was to make healthcare affordable for all. We opened our first store in Wales before the NHS was created and as the healthcare system has evolved, we have become close partners of the NHS in Wales to deliver healthcare at the heart of communities.

“Today, with more than 100 stores and 1,800 team members in Wales, we continue to find new ways to help our customers and patients. Our partnerships remain very important to us and we are proud to be working alongside the Welsh Retail Consortium and the Welsh Government to deliver its new retail vision for Wales.”

Speakers at the event championed the long-standing Boots partnership with Macmillan, highlighting the vital work of Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists (BMIPs) who are specially trained to offer cancer information and support to those suffering with cancer and their families. BMIPs can be found in every Boots pharmacy across Wales.

The event also highlights Boots work to help combat the rising cost of living for customers, including initiatives such as the launch of new essentials range  ‘Boots everyday’ to make it easier for customers to identify lowest priced lines  and Price Lock Promise, which saw Boots freeze the price of over 1,500 own brand products to ensure they remain affordable for customers.