Retail sales at Boots UK surged 24 per cent in the third quarter of the year.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) , which owns the British health and beauty retailer, said that there were market share gains across all categories.

However, the strong sales were largely led by its beauty business.

Overall sales were up 13.5 per cent, while pharmacy sales were down 0.4 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

"WBA delivered strong execution across operating segments and against very robust growth last year,” said Rosalind Brewer, chief executive, WBA. “Third quarter results were broadly in line with our expectations, demonstrating the resilience of our business through our deep community connections and relevance to consumers.

“With our decision to conclude the Boots strategic review, I firmly believe that our strategic actions are working to deliver long-term shareholder value."

The figures are published days after WBA elected to retain ownership of Boots following the completion of a strategic review.

The retail giant said that since launching the process, the global financial markets have suffered unexpected and dramatic change.

As a result of market instability severely impacting financing availability, no third party has been able to make an offer that adequately reflects the high potential value of Boots and No7 Beauty Company, it concluded.

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