Boots bumps up its Xmas offer with celeb lines

Boots is bidding for a bigger slice of the lucrative Christmas gift market, with a broader assortment and exclusive celebrity-endorsed product.

The retailer has struck merchandise deals with celebrities Jamie Oliver and Alan Titchmarsh, among others. Product ranges offered in conjunction with Boxfresh and FCUK have also been expanded.

Boots the Chemists enjoyed its best Christmas for a decade last year, with third-quarter like-for-likes up 7.7 per cent and incremental sales of£70 million. The stores are now a destination for festive shoppers and the tagline 'gifts for everybody' has been introduced to highlight the widened offer.

The men's, children's and teenage assortments have been enhanced with branded toy ranges, gadgets and toiletries. A quirky 10-line pet gift range has also been added. The retailer will relaunch Learning Through Play, its educational toys range, in September.

- Boots has appointed Donal McCabe head of financial media relations. He joins from Network Rail.