Boots (company)

Boots UK Limited
Formerly
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Founded1849; 175 years ago (1849)
FounderJohn Boot
HeadquartersBeeston, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
Number of locations
2,200 (2022)
Area served
Key people
Sebastian James (president and Managing Director at Boots UK and ROI; September 2018–present)
Brands
  • No7
  • Natural Collection
  • Soap and Glory
  • Soltan
Number of employees
  • 56,000
ParentWalgreens Boots Alliance
Subsidiaries
Websiteme.boots.com Edit this at Wikidata

Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists Limited)[1] is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain that operates in the United Kingdom. It also operates internationally, including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Malta, Thailand and Indonesia.

The parent company, The Boots Company plc, merged with Alliance UniChem in 2006 to form Alliance Boots.[2] In 2007, Alliance Boots was bought by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Stefano Pessina, taking the company private, and moving its headquarters to Switzerland, making it the first-ever FTSE 100 company to be bought by a private equity firm.[3] In 2012, Walgreens bought a 45% stake in Alliance Boots, with the option to buy the rest within three years. It exercised this option in 2014, and as a result Boots became a subsidiary of the new company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, on 31 December 2014.[4]

Boots is one of the largest retailers in the UK and Ireland, both in terms of revenue and the number of shops. It has 2,200 shops across the United Kingdom and Ireland ranging from local pharmacies to large health and beauty shops in 2022.[5] Its shops are primarily located on the high streets and in shopping centres. It sells many health and beauty products, and also provides optician and hearing care services within shops and as standalone practices. Boots also operates a retail website and a loyalty card programme called the Boots Advantage Card.[6]

  1. ^ a b "Boots UK Limited overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 11 March 1968. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Alliance UniChem Plc and Boots Group PLC merger archive | Walgreens Boots Alliance". investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Alliance Boots takeover approved". BBC. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  4. ^ Jean, Ellen Hirst (31 December 2014). "Walgreen-Alliance Boots deal is complete". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Boots UK - Welcome to Boots UK".
  6. ^ Quilter, James (21 March 2007). "Boots revamps Advantage Card kiosks". Campaign Live. Retrieved 30 July 2021.