No7 Protect & Perfect boosts Boots sales

Nov 4 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

DEMAND for anti-ageing creams has helped Alliance Boots report a surge in sales growth at its health and beauty arm.

Boots, which appointed former HBOS boss Andy Hornby as chief executive in July, posted a 3.4% hike in UK health & beauty like-for-like sales for the six months to September 30, up from 1.3% in the previous financial year.

The Nottingham-based firm said it was benefiting from “strong consumer demand“ for its latest No7 Protect & Perfect anti-ageing beauty range, which launched amid a wave of publicity in April.

The firm claimed the Protect & Perfect face cream was clinically proven to reduce wrinkles – two years after a consumer dash was seen for the first product in the range after it too was shown to work under the microscope.

The results are the first for Mr Hornby in his new role – an appointment that came less than a year after his tenure at HBOS ended following the bank’s rescue takeover by Lloyds TSB.