Boots' £7bn sale back on agenda

The owner of Boots is trying to sell its UK business again, according to new reports.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the health and beauty retailer's parent company, is in talks with potential buyers to sell the chain for about £7 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Last year, WBA considered selling the No7 owner after it was said to have faced internal pressure to separate its international operations and focus more on the domestic market in the United States.

This is the company's second attempt to sell Boots, after it first floated a sale in 2022 and hired Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs to oversee the process.

However, plans to sell were abandoned after the company failed to find a suitable buyer for the 172-year-old retailer.

The latest sales rumors come after Boots posted its 12th consecutive quarter of growth in the second quarter of 2024, helped by strong growth during the Christmas trading season and increased footfall in stores.

Boots declined to comment on a possible sale.