Boots (company)

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.

The former parent company, The Boots Company plc, merged with Alliance UniChem in 2006 to form Alliance Boots.^[3] 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. In 2012, Walgreens acquired a 45% stake in Alliance Boots, with the option to purchase the remaining shares within three years. It exercised this option in 2014, resulting in Boots becoming a subsidiary of the newly formed Walgreens Boots Alliance on 31 December 2014.^[4] In August 2025, Sycamore Partners completed a $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance and spun off Boots into a standalone private company, The Boots Group, which includes various international assets formerly held by Walgreens Boots Alliance.^[5]

The current parent company, The Boots Group has 3,912 shops around the world, 66,400 employees and annual sales of $23.6 billion. It owns shops in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Mexico and Thailand, holds retail investments in China, and operates a franchise model in the Middle East and Indonesia.^[2]

Boots is one of the largest retailers in the UK and Ireland, both in terms of revenue and the number of shops. As of December 2024, Boots has 2,000 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland ranging from local pharmacies to large health and beauty shops.^[6] 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.^[7]