Alliance Unichem, the group behind the Moss chemist chain, plans to open aromatherapy and homeopathy stores around the UK.

The stores will be opened on a trial basis as the group attempts to tap into the healthy-living market.

The firm is to pilot run a new concept called Moss Total Health, which will be a "highly advice-driven store" offering prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The trial stores will also offer alternative remedies such as aromatherapy and homeopathy, and staff will be specially trained in the alternative remedies available.

Alliance announced the plans as it showed it had continued to beef up its chain of Moss chemist shops last year after recording "impressive" growth for the last five years in its shops.

Alliance, which runs more than 700 Moss community-based pharmacies, added 93 new shops to its chain last year, as well as buying the 57-strong Scholl footcare chain.

However, it sold a number of pharmacies, including ten to Asda - which are run in-store - while a further 38 will be transferred to Asda during this year.

The group said its shops were are also seeing a makeover, with new signs and shop fittings completed in nearly half the stores.

It said its retail division, which also includes shops in Holland, Norway, Italy and Switzerland, had "maintained an impressive record of strong growth for over five years" and saw sales last year jump 27 per cent to £548 million.

Like-for-like sales of National Health Service prescriptions rose nearly ten per cent.

The rise helped total turnover at the group for the year to December 31 jump two per cent to £6.19billion, while pre-tax profits, stripping out one-off costs, rose nine per cent to £133.7million.

Jeff Harris, chief executive, said: "2000 was our strongest year of performance and growth since the merger which created Alliance UniChem in 1997."

Alliance was created by the merger of the UK's Unichem and Luxembourg's Alliance Sante.