Boots pharmacy and beauty retailer has been sold for £7 billion to Wittington Investments, the holding company of the Weston family, a Canadian billionaire family that also owns Selfridges and controls the owner of Primark. The deal marks a change in ownership for the 178-year-old UK high street stalwart after decades of serving generations of customers.
The Westons plan to upgrade Boots' portfolio of 1,800 stores, though specific details about future store designs have not been disclosed. Sofie Willmott, an associate director and analyst at GlobalData Retail, says investment is needed across the chain because many smaller stores have "really lacked investment over time." She adds that a more consistent look across stores would improve the current "disconnect" between different locations.
Jackie Naghten, a retail industry veteran who has worked for Top Shop, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, believes stores need to be made "more functional" by relocating health hubs from corners to more prominent positions. However, some shoppers prefer the current layout. Yasmin Trimble, 22, likes how easy Boots stores are to navigate, saying "You can get everything you need...it is not confusing."
Boots' Advantage loyalty card, launched in 1997, is expected to remain. The card offers shoppers three points for every pound spent, with each point worth 1 pence. Natalie Berg, founder of consultancy NBK Retail, says the card gives Boots "a unique understanding of their customers" and is an asset the new owners "will want to double down on."
The new owners have signalled plans to expand Boots' healthcare services. Boots started as an apothecary and currently offers prescriptions, vaccinations, and weight loss drug services through in-store pharmacies. Naghten notes the timing coincides with pharmacies increasingly prescribing more medications to ease pressure on GP surgeries and hospitals. She adds that while customers visit for health services, they also purchase beauty items like No7 make-up and skincare products.
Boots faces competition from online shopping, influencer-led product discovery, rivals like Superdrug, and M&S's new partnership with Sephora. Some younger shoppers, like 18-year-old Schekina Bourne, prefer Superdrug for convenience rather than visiting Boots.