Boots is shutting its Soroba Road, Oban, branch in the New Year.
The health and beauty chain told The Oban Times closures are part of a consolidation plan it announced earlier in the year. Shops within 2kms of another store are part of the plan. Oban’s bigger Boots store is on George Street, 0.65km away.
Any staff from stores where doors are closing will be re-employed elsewhere, the store’s HQ said.
The Soroba Road boots branch opened as part of the Lorn Medical Centre building when it was purpose built, handy for patients needing prescriptions and medication. Queues are often seen outside the small premises, which is flanked by two supported housing complexes. Some of its customers use the parking at Lidl.
Elsewhere, WH Smith in George Street is closing.
A WH Smith spokesperson said: “Following discussions with the landlord we can confirm WH Smith Oban will close in February next year. We would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us and are grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues who we will support during this change.”
BID4Oban chief executive Andrew Spence said he was disappointed to hear of the closures.
“WH Smith have an active policy of closing high street stores. This has been well publicised over recent years. It is concentrating its business in airports and stations. We believe its lease was coming to an end and that the store was profitable but it is difficult to influence corporate decisions. I am confident this site will not remain empty for too long as there is an appetite for busineses to open up in prime locations in Oban.
“With regards to Boots, it is understandable it is consolidating its business to one location and again, Boots has previously communicated this is the case. It is still disappointing it is closing because given its location adjacent to Lorn Medical Practice it was convenient for dropping in prescriptions.”
Caption: WH Smith in Oban is closing down
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