Up to 200 Boots stores are at risk of closure, it has been reported.
The chain's American owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), is said to have put hundreds of outlets under review as part of a restructuring plan.
Sky News reports that more than 200 of the chain’s stores have been put under a two-year review.
Sources told Sky News that a significant number of the stores are likely to be axed, although no formal decision has been made about stores which are at risk.
Towns which have several branches of the pharmacy chain will be under scrutiny, while branches approaching the end of their lease will also be looked at.
Where possible, staff would be redeployed to an area's existing, or new store, the source added.
A spokeswoman for Boots told the Standard there was currently “no major programme envisaged” but that it "always review underperforming stores and seeks out opportunities for consolidation".
They added: “As is natural with a business of our size, we have stores opening, closing and relocating on a regular basis, but we have had around 2,500 stores open for several years now.
“In fact we’re investing in our stores – last year, we completed a huge merchandising project to update our self-selection cosmetics areas in 2,200 of our stores.
“We have recently announced the planned opening of a new flagship store in Covent Garden, London and the reinvention of our beauty business in 24 stores across the UK.
“We are being realistic about the future and that we will need to be agile to adapt to the changing landscape.”
Walgreens Boots Alliance said in April that it had suffered its "most difficult quarter" in its history and warned it needed to take "decisive steps to reduce costs in the UK".
It added that it was carrying out a review of Boots The Chemist.
Employing roughly 56,000 people, Boots is one of the largest retailers in Britain by store numbers and also trades from about 1100 opticians and hearing-care shops which use its brand.
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