Boots' sales have risen 1.6% for the three months ending February 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The increase contributed to an overall uplift of 4.1% in revenue for the UK health and beauty chain’s owner Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) for the same period, beating analyst’s expectations.
Total sales hit US$38.6bn, driven by international segments that include Boots UK, as well as Walgreens retail pharmacy sales in the US.
International sales were $6.1bn for the quarter, a 0.6% increase on the same period in 2024, including an adverse currency impact of 3.5%.
The health and beauty giant said retail sales in the UK were up 5.1% for the quarter on a constant currency basis with growth across all categories.
Online sales on boots.com grew 19.5%, or 20.5% taking into account currency fluctuations, and represented 20% of total retail sales.
“Second quarter results reflect disciplined cost management and improvement in US healthcare, which were partially offset by weaker front-end results in US retail pharmacy, while significant legal settlements resulted in continued negative free cash flow,” said WBA CEO Tim Wentworth.
“We remain in the early stages of our turnaround plan, and continue to expect that meaningful value creation will take time, enhanced focus and balancing future cash needs with necessary investments to navigate a changing pharmacy and retail landscape.”
The latest financial results come after WBA was snapped up by Sycamore Partners in a $10bn acquisition.
The private equity firm sealed the deal in March after months of talks and is expected to complete in the fourth quarter.
Sycamore said at the time WBA will “continue to operate under Walgreens, Boots and its trusted portfolio of consumer brands”.
WBA last year scrapped plans to sell Boots as part of a turnaround plan that included the closure of 700 underperforming stores in the US after it cut its profit outlook and its share price plunged to its lowest level since 1997.