Boots travels as Virgin arrives

Boots is “considering the question of design” for its expansion plans into The Netherlands, Thailand and Japan.

“Decisions are being taken now, and one would assume they will be taken soon as three Dutch stores are planned to open in early summer,” says a Boots spokesman, adding that the stores “will look like Boots in the UK”.

A similarly small number of stores is planned for Thailand, also due to open by next summer, and for Japan, which has no opening dates at present.

Meanwhile, Virgin plans to challenge Boots and The Body Shop by opening a high street cosmetics retailing chain.

This joint venture, called Victory Corporation, is a collaboration between Virgin and entrepreneurs Rory and Tim McCarthy. It is spending 45m to launch a Virgin cosmetics concept and casualwear.

Retail consultants Liz and Mark Warom will be responsible for choosing designers to create packaging for the cosmetics and to design the chain’s interiors, confirms a Virgin spokeswoman.