Three hundred Boots stores are set to close over the next 12 months.
The US owners of the retail chain said it will shut stores close to each other as part of its plans to consolidate the business.
Boots has several stores in Cumbria – including three sites in Carlisle and a store and opticians in Whitehaven. Penrith also has a main store and an opticians branch. It is not known what stores will be affected, but it is being reported that there will be no redundancies as staff will be offered jobs at nearby branches.
Walgreens Boots Alliance said it had seen a surge in people shopping online and choosing own-brand labels.
