Alliance Boots reports solid first year

Alliance Boots, Britain’s biggest pharmacy group, has reported strong profits for the year to the end of March as it continues the integration of its Boots and Alliance chains.

The results, its first since the merger last year, show a 20.3% year-on-year increase in trading profits to £771m. It has seen solid revenue growth across both of its health and beauty and wholesale pharmaceutical divisions.

The health and beauty, which includes the retail arm, saw a 4.2% year-on-year increase in revenue to £6.8bn, while the wholesale division saw revenue grow by 5.8% to £9.5bn. Alliance Boots’ group revenues improved 4.8% to £15.3bn.

The group also said it would continue to focus on cost savings and to seek opportunities to develop outside of the UK, as well as expanding it pharmaceutical wholesale operations.