∙ We develop over 1,500 new products a year
∙ We produce over 8,000 different products
∙ We manufacture over 500 million units a year
Boots Retail International was set up to amplify Boots health and retail globally. Boots Advantage Card is the world’s largest smartcard loyalty scheme, which now has close to 13 million members. Over 50% of sales at Boots are related to the card. Boots uses the Advantage Card data to explore customer purchases, recognising their individual requirements in health and beauty.
Where are your HQ and major sites?
We operate in a variety of different cities and areas, but
our HQ (headquarters) are located in Nottingham.
Nottingham is a extremely busy area and town, there are
people flooding in from all over town to take up job
interviews, or to take a look around. Boots specialises
in all sorts of healthcare.
Who is your major competition?
For the combined stores of Boots: Super drug, Tesco, and the Gap.
Boots Opticians: Vision Express, Dolland and Aitchison, Specsavers, and Optical Express.
Boots Healthcare International: Procter and Gamble, Glaxo Smithkline, Beecham, Bayer, American Home Products, Lloyds, and Bristol Myers.
What strategies does your company use?
Boots commitment to quality is not a modern concept, but a wholehearted philosophy, which has spanned more than 100 years and upon which the company’s reputation has been created. This philosophy is inherent in all aspects of the business, from management practices, to customer service, from production processes to sales and marketing polices.
Also, in December 2000, Boots became the first major retail optician in the UK to offer laser eye surgery, when it opened a clinic within its Boots Opticians store in Regent Street, London. The market for laser eye surgery is increasing swiftly, and Boots now plans to open five more clinics by August 2001 to meet this demand. An investment of 1.3 million is being made in each clinic and 80 new jobs will be created as a result.
Can you give me information about your past experience of any leading product development?
Boots Healthcare International is a ruling developer and marketer of innovative products and differentiated consumer healthcare brands in the global self-medication market. Boots Healthcare International’s products are sold around the world in over 130 countries.
Boots Healthcare strategy is emphasised on analgesics, skincare, and cough and cold remedies, which mutually make up about over half the over-the-counter market. To fortify its position in these sectors, Boots Healthcare International has put in place an enterprising programme of:
Boots Hearingcare
Boots Hearingcare centres will provide
∙ Full time, qualified hearing aid audiologists
∙ Dedicated, purpose built consulting areas
∙ State of the art equipment
∙ Transparent pricing
Ordinary hearing aids available from the NHS or through private dispensers have a number of things in common. They have to be individually fabricated by hand to fit the exact shape of your ear, which means they are costly to produce, leading to high prices for customers – typically 1,500 or more.
Can you give me an outline of the effects of new technology?
Boots Opticians: Lasik
In December 2000, Boots Opticians became the first major retail optician in the UK to offer laser eye surgery as a mainstream alternative to glasses and contact lenses.
What strategies does the business use in the process of quality control?
This philosophy is inherent in all aspects of the business, from management practices, to customer service, from production process to sales and marketing polices.
Boots Retail has made a pledge to develop collaborative relationships with our key strategic suppliers to drive benefits throughout the supply chain. The initial Data Publishing component of the system provide the means for us to share key sales, stock, and service level information to the suppliers. We believe that TONIC portrays a consequential opportunity to drive both the enhanced business and minimised costs and we will work closely with our suppliers to ensure that these opportunities are realised and that TONIC remains at the foreground of collaborative technology.
Boots Opticians aims to work closely with the key suppliers in an attempt to acquire mutual business benefit. An example of this was the exclusive “News” range, by Jeff Banks, which involved months of consultation and planning.
The figures overleaf relate to the financial year ending 31st March 2001.
