Boots reported a jump in sales in the second quarter thanks to strong demand for its beauty products over the Christmas period.
Sales rose by 11% in the UK in the three months to 28 February, the pharmacy and retail business revealed, with Boots' retail sales up 16% compared to the same period last year.
Eight quarters of consecutive growth were led by sales of beauty products, with Christmas trading particularly strong, the group said.
“More people are choosing to shop with Boots, largely thanks to our focus on Cvalue and our market-leading beauty offer,” said Sebastian James, managing director of Boots UK & the Republic of Ireland.
“This is reflected in our strong retail sales performance and our continuing market share growth, particularly in terms of Christmas trading.”
US parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance had planned to sell its UK Boots operation last year before a dramatic u-turn.
Since then, Walgreens said that Boots has helped support profit through higher retail sales, although demand for Covid-related services took a knock.
In contrast, Walgreens saw its quarterly profits slide by more than 20% due to a sharp drop in Covid-19 vaccines and tests.