Boots Tests Airport Format With Quick-Find Belfast Store

Boots opened its first On the Go concept store at Belfast International Airport on Monday, betting a high-street-style layout can capture more travel retail spending. The store uses quick-find zones instead of the standard pharmacy aisle grid. Shelving is lower, signage is bigger, and the product mix leans toward travel-size toiletries, last-minute gifts, and health essentials. Boots said the design aims to "bring a high street quality shopping experience" to the airport.

The move follows a broader push by UK retailers to grab a share of the airport market, where foot traffic has recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Boots already operates roughly 50 airport locations across the UK. The Belfast store is the first built around the On the Go format.

Airport retail tends to carry higher rent per square foot than high street locations. It also draws customers with less price sensitivity and more time to browse. Boots is testing whether a faster, more intuitive layout can convert that footfall into higher basket sizes. The company did not disclose sales targets or the cost of the fit-out. A spokesperson said the format could roll out to other airports if the Belfast trial performs.

Boots is owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance, which has been under pressure from investors to improve margins in its UK retail division. The airport push is one of several initiatives aimed at lifting revenue per square foot in the travel channel. The Belfast store gives the company a controlled test case. If the quick-find zones lift conversion rates, the format could appear at larger hubs like Heathrow or Gatwick. If the trial falls short, the cost of retrofitting existing airport stores would limit the downside.

The On the Go concept also faces competition from established travel retailers like WHSmith and World Duty Free, which have long dominated airport concourses. Boots' advantage is its pharmacy heritage and health-focused product range, which overlaps with the last-minute needs of travelers. The company declined to say how long the trial would run before a decision on wider rollout.