Retail in the 21st Century: Seb James, CEO of Boots, Discusses Health, Technology & Data

In a world where competitive survival has become rarer, one UK retail institution has survived for 175 years, remains a trusted brand, with over 50,000 employees, 2,000 stores and 4,000 pharmacists.
Today Boots is part of the US Walgreens Boots Alliance, an entity with sales of $140 billion (2023/24) and one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs.
In this episode we aim to explore the future of retail, the big drivers of change, the overload of the health systems, how pharmacies may play a vital role, technology, data, and what customers really want.
Seb James also discusses the demise of the department store, increasing specialisation, how data allows for tailoring of customer preferences and what AI might offer.
He goes on to cover the notable rise in theft since COVID-19, the decline of the UK High Street, and how they’re competing with both the US tech giants and China-affiliated e-commerce challengers.
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