Alliance Boots has unveiled a strong performance in its first year as a private company.

The health and beauty specialist revealed trading profit (including share from associates and joint ventures) up 20.1 per cent to£854 million on the back of revenues up 4.8 per cent to£15.3 billion. EBITDA climbed 17.8 per cent to£1.1 billion.

Alliance Boots' health and beauty business, which includes its UK retail arm, revealed a 4.2 per cent increase in revenue and a 20.1 per cent rise in trading profits to£603 million. Like-for-likes climbed 3.6 per cent.

The company confirmed that cost savings of£68 million had been achieved through internal restructuring and securing better terms from suppliers.

£470 million was invested in the business,£280 million of it on the existing business – particularly store refurbishments – and£180 million on acquisitions, including more than 100 UK pharmacies and a joint venture in China.

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