Boots owner Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) said it did better in the three months to November than it had expected, helped by offering Covid-19 jabs.
The US pharmacy group said it was significantly boosted by vaccinations and testing across sites as well as higher flu vaccinations.
The group – which owns Nottingham headquartered Boots – reported that first quarter sales increased 7.8 per cent to $33.9 billion (£25 billion).
Its international retail pharmacy operation, including Boots, saw a 35.8 per cent rise in quarterly sales to $5.8 billion (£4.3 billion).
It also highlighted 16.3 per cent like-for-like retail sales growth across its Boots UK business, as it was boosted by the easing of pandemic restrictions.
The company said it benefited from a 12 per cent increase in the size of customers’ baskets, while online sales also continued to grow.
Boots like-for-like pharmacy sales rose 8.8 per cent as they were boosted by stronger demand for services such as Covid-19 travel testing.
Sebastian James, managing director at Boots UK, said: “Boots delivered another strong performance this quarter with both retail and pharmacy sales continuing to increase year on year, along with very encouraging market share growth.
“Our transformation continues as planned with investment, particularly in digital, our beauty portfolio and healthcare services, aiding a fast-paced recovery from the pandemic.
“Covid restrictions continue to create headwinds for the UK high street but we remain focused on delivering for our customers.
“We are proud to support communities with testing, vaccinations and a range of healthcare services as more and more people choose their local pharmacy as their first port of call when feeling unwell.
“I want to thank all our team members for their continued extraordinary efforts.”
