'Our teams are at the heart of what we do': Boots celebrates 60 years across Northern Ireland with new stores and investment

UK's leading health and beauty retailer Boots is marking a major milestone as it celebrates its 60th anniversary in Northern Ireland.

Boots has a rich history in the country, with the first stores introduced in 1966 when its Cornmarket store first opened its doors, and a new store opening in Bangor following shortly afterwards.

It rapidly expanded, driven by customer demand, bringing new pharmacy services to the region, as well as brands only available at Boots, including No7 and Soltan.

Today, Boots is Northern Ireland’s leading health, beauty and wellness retailer with a team over 1,200 expert colleagues based in 67 stores across the region.

Over the last 60 years, Boots has become a cornerstone of the community, with shoppers taking advantage its extensive health, beauty and wellness offering both online and in-store. Recently, a number of Boots stores across Northern Ireland have seen significant improvements to meet customer demand for new and trending beauty and wellness , with new beauty brands introduced, including Caudalie, Ouai, Wella, Phillip Kingsley, Ultra Violette, Kiehl’s and NARS.

Boots most recently refurbished its Sprucefield store and flagship Belfast store in Donegal Place, and has plans to open new airport stores at both Belfast City and Belfast International Airport, in summer 2026 which will include a first-of-its-kind, new ‘on-the-go’ format.

The retailer plays a key role in supporting community healthcare in the country, through dispensing prescriptions and providing vital services. These include the NHS Pharmacy First scheme, which enables patients to get advice and treatment for common conditions including sore throat, shingles and urinary tract infections (UTIs) without the need for an appointment with a GP. Last year, Boots pharmacies in Northern Ireland dispensed over five million items and conducted over 47,000 Pharmacy First consultations.

Aileen McGroggan, director of Stores for Boots in Northern Ireland, said: “For 60 years, Boots has been proud to serve communities right across Northern Ireland. Our teams are at the heart of what we do, and many have supported local families across generations.

"As customer needs have evolved, we’ve continued to innovate our health, beauty and wellness offering while remaining a trusted place people can turn to for advice, support and care.”

Boots and charity partners continue to work closely to support the local community throughout Northern Ireland. Together with Macmillan Cancer Support, Boots offers support for people affected by cancer; over 190 trained Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists (BMIPs), Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors (BMBAs) and Boots Macmillan Optometrist Professionals (BMOPs) provide support from answering questions about medication to managing side effects of cancer and its treatment.

Boots has installed donation points for charity partner, The Hygiene Bank in 34 stores in Northern Ireland, to help tackle hygiene poverty. In 2025, these donation points received over 2,000kg of new and unused toiletries and personal care products, collected and distributed to people in need via annetwork of 83 local community partners in Northern Ireland.

Sophie Clapp, Boots archivist, said: “Boots has a long history in Northern Ireland, and the opening of our first store in 1966 marked the beginning of an important relationship with local communities. Over the decades, our stores have become familiar fixtures on high streets and a place that

generations of customers have relied on for their everyday health and beauty needs.”