Superdrug has highlighted a 300% surge in demand for its weight-loss services while reporting a 5.2% rise in sales to £1.7bn in 2025.
The soaring weight-loss demand came in the first half of the year and “momentum continued”, according to the health & beauty retailer.
The results, covering the year to 27 December 2025, were announced on the day Wegovy weight loss pills began arriving with customers and in stores across a number of UK retailers. The tablets, which received regulatory approval in June, are expected to fuel new demand for weight-loss drugs by providing UK consumers with their first needle-free alternative to GLP-1 jabs.
Superdrug said its NHS Pharmacy First service gained strong patient uptake as it delivered personally tailored weight-loss support and treatments via consultations with trained nurses. Over 45,000 consultations were delivered by the Pharmacy First service.
The retailer also credited its sales growth to investment in stores, having opened 22 ‘best-in-class’ branches, including a 9,600 sq ft unit in Westfield’s White City. It also opened large stores Leeds Briggate, Bristol Cribbs Causeway and Sheffield Meadowhall, and its first ever shop in Guernsey.
Another 45 stores were refurbished and extended, in a programme overseen by property director Clare Cummings, who was appointed in January last year.
Customer experience was improved with the introduction of Beauty Playgrounds in 27 of its largest destination stores, hailed by the retailer as one of its “most significant strategic moves” of the year. The ‘immersive’ hubs aim to bring the latest viral beauty trends to stores.
Superdrug allso rolled out 500 digital screens, providing an advertising platform for brands in stores.
‘Outperformed Boots’
The sales growth came despite a year of subdued high street footfall, with consumer disposable income under pressure, according to Superdrug. Profit before tax increased by 5.3% £144.1m, credited primarily to the sales performance.
“We are pleased to report another strong year for Superdrug, despite a challenging backdrop for retail in the UK and continued pressure on household budgets,” said Peter Macnab, CEO of Superdrug parent AS Watson Health & Beauty UK & ROI.
“These results demonstrate the strength of our customer proposition and the continued relevance of Superdrug’s service and offering.
“Customers are choosing us for great value, trusted advice, exciting brands and everyday affordability, and we will continue to invest in the areas that matter most to them. Our position and ambition are clear – to remain the most- loved destination for accessible health and beauty in the UK.”
GlobalData retail analyst Charlotte Chilcott said Superdrug had “outperformed Boots, which reported UK sales growth of 3.2% in the year to 31 August 2025”.
“Differences in store estate strategy should be considered, given Boots reduced its store footprint over the period while Superdrug continued to expand,” Chilcott added.
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