Forum Topic

Boots

Both branches of Boots on the High Street feel as if they are being neglected. For example, fewer staff, customers, and low or no stocks of items.Does anyone know why, for example lease expiring or site redevelopment?

Andrew Boddington ● 1036d15 Comments

The  Boots  in  the  centre  of  the  High  Street  was  a  Timothy  White  pharmacy.

Duncan Laird ● 1034d

The small one in the centre of Putney was a different store whose name I can't remember but it was taken over by Boots many years ago. It seems to attract a different type of customer, one who pops in for a sandwich and maybe something else, cotton wool, cleaner, make up. They don't hold large stocks of anything very much.

Katrina Black ● 1034d

Re: the OP I think the largest Boots on PHS seems a bit strange at the moment and doesn’t seem to have many staff. I wondered why PHS has 2 Boots stores, as the only other street I can think of with more than one Boots store, is Oxford Street.  Kensington High Street and the Kings Rd, for example, I think, only have one store, why does Putney have 2?

Martine Guy ● 1034d

Went in large Boots Wednesday, didn't seem too bad, must say the pharmacist very good, hasn't been there very long, but well organized and helpful. Shelves seemed Ok stock etc.

Barbara Stevens ● 1034d

Lots of partially sighted people like to use tills.  They are not the same in each shop - just as all those tills in the banks all seem to be different and you have to hunt around for where to put your money or your card - and be so careful to take your card back home with you.  It can be exhaustingly and frustratingly stressful.

Philippa Bond ● 1035d

I think you'll find they all , or the vast majority, have means of payment by card.

Andy Pike ● 1035d

A question. In my experience most self service tills are card payments only, aren't they? Do many under 18s have payment cards? (Perhaps parents could set up a payment method on a smartphone for them?) So would school children use self service tills? Never thought about it before.

Michael Ixer ● 1035d

I think those items set off an alert no matter how old the buyer. I know when I bought alchohol in sainsbury an alert was sounded for a staff member to authorise before I could proceed.

Andy Pike ● 1035d

I do not understand why people want self service tills in certain shops, I think it is stupid, children will be coming in from school buying alcohol, getting knives, there are not security standing over every self service till. You only need a few congregating around the till, you wouldn't see what they were buying.  Even small sweet shops etc, only let in one child at a time because of pinching.  What about cleaning fluids like  One Shot which are a type of acid, you need people on tills.

Barbara Stevens ● 1035d

Also what about blind people or disabled, its easier for them to use a till. Otherwise defeats the object, because they still need somebody to help them on the self checkout, or getting their items in the shop. Just remember customers aren't paid to work in the shop, why should they serve themselves. Most people like to speak to an assistant while going to the till, some people may not have spoken to anybody all day.

Barbara Stevens ● 1035d

Really youngsters medication, razors. Until you work in a shop you would not understand the amount taken. It really opened my eyes, after years of working in offices. In Robert Dyas they could not understand where their drills were disappearing, then he was eventually caught, putting them down his trousers. M & S the same man was caught, putting clothes down his trousers. One woman came in Robert Dyas with her son, now and again and would pinch, another assistant caught her, told her to put everything on the counter, the woman left the son was still shouting abuse at me so I told him how much his mother cared about him, because she had already run out of the shop. Even though you have self service tills they have more Security men.  People even used to swap prices on items, and come to the till, if the item was in the clearance section they would stick the price on another item. You still need tills for refunds.

Barbara Stevens ● 1035d

Boots at other locations have self-service tills so I'm not sure why the ones in Putney don't, if someone is going to walf out without paying for something does it matter whether the tills are self or staff operated ones?

Michael Ixer ● 1035d

Trouble is in a shop like Boots you need staff on tills as I have heard they used to get a lot of thieves, especially selling medication and also perfume which is expensive. That is probably why they have Security on the doors. Perfume is usually behind the till if it is expensive. Other items like Hairdryers  are tagged to stop them being taken. Also razor's are usually kept behind a till. There used to be so many thieves in the large Robert Dyes that was down the High Street, they would try and walk out with hoovers, irons, anything.

Barbara Stevens ● 1035d

The American owner of Boots, Walgreens, tried to sell it last year  but failed to. So it has an owner who doesn't want to own it. Most likely they will not want to invest in it any more than they are forced to,

Michael Winstanley ● 1036d

Yes - I did note to the staff that that there was no self service tills - why not?

Ed Robinson ● 1036d