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Original poster

Boots lack of choice. Going down the tube??

42 replies

justasking111 · 15/05/2023 15:52

Reading the financial press Walgreen owners of Boots are closing stores in USA. They've tried to offload Boots no takers. Didn't think much of it until I went in today. Their make up range has shrunk so much. Another lady wanted advice for no 7 mascara because she couldn't find a replacement or a member of staff. I'd just bought a Maybelline one so said try that. Rimmel London do liquid eyeliner with a brush not in my Boots they don't
checked online it's still available.

having lost Debenhams Boots are all that's left here now.

I don't want to buy online only. I want to see and try the product. No chance now

I'm sad. Have women stopped wearing makeup?

OP posts:
PollyPeptide · 15/05/2023 15:59

The smaller branches never seem well stocked but as I understand it, that's because of theft. It's such a problem, they keep a minimum amount of stock on the shelves. But larger Boots branches have so much stuff and variety of makeup brands. It's really impressive.
The small branches near me look so scruffy on the outside, with no signage or signage half falling off. And inside, they never feel that clean although I think they are. It's just old and dated.
I will say, though, it takes ages, to get served so they must have a regular through-flow of customers.
And don't even get me started on their website. It must be the most user unfriendly site ever devised.

worktired · 15/05/2023 16:00

I think some people have stopped wearing makeup - I hardly wear any now.

Our local boots is awful - both general staff and pharmacy - staff seem really demotivated, the shop is dingy etc. The bigger boots in the city centre/shopping centre are better, but I do wonder how much longer they'll last.

PollyPeptide · 15/05/2023 16:06

The govt would be very concerned if Boots were to close. They'd be worried about that because it plays quite a large part in the UKs health care. Plus, so many small chemists have closed, it will compromise how our health care functions if all those pharmacies go too.

LadyKenya · 15/05/2023 16:07

My local Boots is overpriced, and short staffed. I very rarely go in there. I am surprised that they are still around, if my local is anything to go by.

LookOutBandits · 15/05/2023 16:09

I think some people have stopped wearing makeup - I hardly wear any now. Other people wear three times as much though. Grin

I live near an industrial estate Boots and it's always busy and thriving. It has everything. Whereas the one on the high street is like a shop in communist Russia. One bottle of shower gel (always green) and some lockets and a heap of half price hand sanitiser.

HeidiUpTheMountain · 15/05/2023 16:11

We visit city centres quite often and those big branches are well stocked - in fact there is a wider range of brands stocked now than I’ve ever known in 40 odd years of buying makeup there. My local high street one, though, not so much. Must be to do with economies of scale. In a small unit you don’t have room for loads of stock, so will always have a narrower range and less quantity, so that you are making the most profit from the brands and items you sell most regularly.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/05/2023 16:11

The boots in my city has so much make up choice it’s bewildering. Too much! Always queues at the tills too.

LoveLabradors · 15/05/2023 16:12

The bigger Boots are okay and have more choice. Advantage card has become far less appealing - less points, no longer receive extra points vouchers and therefore not as fussed about shopping there. The website is utterly dreadful and not at all user friendly. The loss of small stores would be a blow to many struggling high streets though.

Original poster
justasking111 · 15/05/2023 16:25

Our stores aren't small in Llandudno just bereft of choice. I would love to see Mac, Nars, Space NK in North Wales.

Good point about pharmacy they're a huge player in the UK.

OP posts:
rosiebluu · 15/05/2023 16:34

I was a devoted Boots shopper but I've switched to online (Sephora, Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic mainly) with the odd trip to the beauty counters at John Lewis. I can never seem to find anything I want to buy in Boots these days sadly, and the website is painful to use at times.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 15/05/2023 16:42

PollyPeptide · 15/05/2023 16:06

The govt would be very concerned if Boots were to close. They'd be worried about that because it plays quite a large part in the UKs health care. Plus, so many small chemists have closed, it will compromise how our health care functions if all those pharmacies go too.

There are loads of boots stores without a pharmacy.

pokabubble · 15/05/2023 16:45

Superdrug?

I use online

SurpriseSparDay · 15/05/2023 16:53

I don’t think I’ve visited a Boots branch specifically for make up for about fifteen years! Living near a city with Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Space NK, those were the places I went for cosmetics. Covid lockdowns changed that - I scarcely remember it’s possible to buy stuff in physical shops now. And trying on make up at a counter seems so much less attractive, too. So Cult Beauty supplies most of my beauty requirements - but higher end make up brands have got so good at making online shopping easy …

And as for basic products like soap, toothpaste, deodorant - yes, they used to be a reason to go into an actual shop, but since Covid they mostly come with my grocery delivery, so again Boots has been completely cut out. From observation and conversation that seems to be the case for most people I’m close to.

If I need pharmacy products or advice I would visit a pharmacy - but that’s equally likely to be somewhere other than Boots.

So you’re right - it seems to be much less central to English life than it once was.

SurpriseSparDay · 15/05/2023 16:56

For once I should probably have said British life!

MadisonAvenue · 15/05/2023 17:04

The Boots in our town centre has been dreadful for years now and it’s rumoured to be closing now that there’s one on an out of town retail park.

The town centre one isn’t exactly small, it’s three times the size of the one in the county town, but it doesn’t stock any premium make up ranges and what it does have (L’Oreal, Rimmel, Max Factor etc) is very lacking in testers.

If you do buy anything you have to walk all
around the store to find a till that’s actually open.

LoveLabradors · 15/05/2023 20:13

Agree with PP about online shopping for make up. I usually wait until I need a few things for a GWP with Space NK or Liberty etc, get far more for my money than buying in Boots. And they both have good loyalty schemes too. For everyday stuff I tend to use Superdrug as far more reasonably priced than Boots. Although I dislike the Superdrug website too.

Original poster
justasking111 · 15/05/2023 22:33

Estée Lauder eye shadow was my favourite during covid they completely changed the range and instead of individual colours had awful palettes. Everyone says they're awful on the reviews. Luckily last week on Instagram the colour I wanted popped up on Instagram MAC individual shadows. I'm happy again.

I do miss beauty counters 😭

OP posts:
thaisweetchill · 15/05/2023 22:38

The prices in boots are just horrendous! I shop at Superdrug now, prices are much cheaper, testers are available and their reward scheme is just like Boots.

HeidiUpTheMountain · 15/05/2023 23:06

thaisweetchill · 15/05/2023 22:38

The prices in boots are just horrendous! I shop at Superdrug now, prices are much cheaper, testers are available and their reward scheme is just like Boots.

That’s true, and all very well unless you need No 7 😁

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 15/05/2023 23:16

Our little Boots closed last year, but the two big ones in the shopping malls now have loads more counters - MAC, Kiehl’s, Fenty etc - and have been partly reinvented as beauty halls. There’s a massive baby department too with a dedicated “baby consultant” specifically to help.

SurpriseSparDay · 15/05/2023 23:23

I do miss beauty counters.

I do too. I miss the rituals: the spraying of the lipstick and offer of the magnifying mirror; engaging in wary conversation with the shop assistant in the hope of generous free samples; catching sight of oneself in the escalator mirrors, wearing lips and eyelids you’ve never seen before; going home with every nail a different colour - then remembering you don’t actually own any nail varnish remover. It’s true, those decades were fun …

JacobsCrackersCheeseFogg · 15/05/2023 23:24

DD likes make-up. She goes to Superdrug because even the small ones have lots of choice. She gets her toiletries there too because it's animal friendly and cheaper than Boots. The stores seem more focused on younger customers now,

I prefer Superdrug too. Haven't been to Boots in years.

rebekahnorris · 15/05/2023 23:44

I absolutely love Superdrug! Much better than Boots!

rebekahnorris · 15/05/2023 23:48

SurpriseSparDay · 15/05/2023 16:53

I don’t think I’ve visited a Boots branch specifically for make up for about fifteen years! Living near a city with Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Space NK, those were the places I went for cosmetics. Covid lockdowns changed that - I scarcely remember it’s possible to buy stuff in physical shops now. And trying on make up at a counter seems so much less attractive, too. So Cult Beauty supplies most of my beauty requirements - but higher end make up brands have got so good at making online shopping easy …

And as for basic products like soap, toothpaste, deodorant - yes, they used to be a reason to go into an actual shop, but since Covid they mostly come with my grocery delivery, so again Boots has been completely cut out. From observation and conversation that seems to be the case for most people I’m close to.

If I need pharmacy products or advice I would visit a pharmacy - but that’s equally likely to be somewhere other than Boots.

So you’re right - it seems to be much less central to English life than it once was.

Good point here. Many of us get food delivered and you can add make up and toiletries on! This doesn't help the likes of boots!

TheOGCCL · 15/05/2023 23:59

I think I might be the one keeping Boots in business. I buy loads of beauty stuff online from there including premium make up. I wait for the 20% discount they do most months then I also get a 10% student discount on top so for me it’s the best deal. Their click and collect is available really quickly and you only have to spend £20 to get that free.

I agree Boots stores have a split personality. Some have had a lot of investment, others not. In local high streets I find them to be pretty bad, lots of queuing in awkward spaces and badly stocked, dirty, scruffy and even closing for lunch like it’s 1955. In the big shopping centres they tend to have a much smarter act.

Superdrug are better for their own ranges, I think they have more choice on hair dyes and they stock some products Boots don’t like MUA and Hada Labo (but then Boots stock some things Superdrug don’t).

I like both stores stock checker and use it a lot to find the best store to visit and find them pretty accurate.