The Boots branch in Glastonbury is due to close its doors on 13th October, part of a larger strategy by the pharmacy chain to shutter 300 shops across the country over the next year.

This move is set to reduce Boots' nationwide store portfolio from roughly 2,200 to approximately 1,900.

Whilst the company hasn't disclosed a comprehensive list of affected locations, it's understood that the focus will be on shops situated in close proximity to other Boots branches.

A notice on the door of the Glastonbury branch states that the store will be one of those to close. It's a blow to the town, which will also see the pharmacy in Tesco closing on August 20.

These closures will mean that Knights Pharmacy in Feversham Lane will be the only one serving the town.

Although the impending closure of numerous stores may cause concern, Boots has reassured its workforce of over 52,000 team members that the move is not expected to lead to redundancies.

The Glastonbury closure forms part of a continued trend, with Boots previously closing more than 200 shops over an 18-month period from 2019, mainly due to overlapping locations and underperformance.

The economic challenges brought on by the pandemic, alongside soaring inflation and a shift to online shopping, have left many high street retailers struggling.

However, despite the broader retail climate, Boots has reported a 13.4% rise in retail sales over the three months to the end of May, driven by a surge in online shoppers.

Reflecting on its latest quarterly results, the chain stated: 'Over the next year Boots will continue to consolidate a number of stores in close proximity to each other.

'Evolving the store estate in this way allows Boots to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up to date environment.'

James Kehoe, global chief financial officer at Boots parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, told: "We will continue to optimise our locations and opening hours, and expect to close an additional 300 locations in the UK and 150 locations in the US."