A History of Boots
On 19 Aug 2011
|
Boots, the leading seller of many bath and body, deodorants and acne treatment products has a very long and chequered history. Boots was first established by founder John Boot in 1849 and, since then, has continued to provide high quality health and beauty products at affordable prices. As the UK's leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, Boots has much to offer in the way of expert advice and tried and tested skincare, bath & body care and makeup ranges. And with 160 years of experience, our products benefit from our dedication and extensive experience in health and beauty. The early days Boots has its roots in the mid-19th century when John Boot, an agricultural worker, moved to Nottingham to start a new business. He opened a small herbalist store on Goose Gate in 1849, from which he prepared and sold herbal remedies. His business soon proved popular, especially with the working poor of Nottingham's new industries, who could not afford the services of a doctor. After John's death in 1860, his widow, Mary, continued trading, with the help of her young son, Jesse, who became a full partner when he was 21. The store continued to flourish, and, in 1877, Jesse took sole control. Health for a shilling Jesse's talent for business was soon evident. He expanded the range of products he sold to include proprietary medicines and household necessities. He adopted a strategy of buying stock in bulk and selling his goods much cheaper than his competitors, advertising under the slogan "Health for a Shilling". Customers flocked to buy his affordable products and his turnover increased rapidly, allowing him to move into larger premises on Goose Gate in 1881. This was followed by yet more shops in Nottingham and then, in 1884, Jesse's first shops outside the city, in Lincoln and Sheffield. In the same year he also employed his first qualified pharmacist to dispense medicines, and oversee the recruitment of others, enhancing the professional reputation of the company. Jesse's policy of superior goods at competitive prices delivered with expert care, meant that the Boots name quickly became synonymous with quality, value and service. Largest, best and cheapest - branches everywhere Jesse had ambitions for Boots to be a nationwide chain and so he began acquiring new premises and also some chains of chemists. The store network grew rapidly: in 1890 he had just 10 stores and by 1914 this had risen to over 550 stores throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Chemists to the Nation Following the First World War, Jesse decided to retire and in 1920, he sold Boots to the United Drug Company of America. During the next 13 years of American ownership Boots continued to prosper and grow: a new manufacturing site was acquired at Beeston in 1927 and in 1933 the 1000th Boots store was opened. In 1933 the United Drug Company sold its holding in Boots to a group of British financiers led by John Boot, Jesse's son. Under John's Chairmanship the company continued to develop: the first overseas store opened in New Zealand in 1936; key brands No7 and Soltan were both launched in the 1930s. John believed passionately that Boots should offer exceptional customer service and introduced new initiatives such as 24 hour opening times to serve the public better. The Modern Era Following the Second World War, the company continued to expand its manufacturing and research capabilities and the creation of the National Health Service in 1948 led to a vast increase in dispensing. Self-service was introduced to stores in the 1950s and international export and manufacturing businesses were strengthened. More recent decades have seen the introduction of successful brands such as 17 cosmetics and Botanics, and new business ventures such as Boots Opticians. A new chapter in Boots history started on 31st July 2006 with the merger with Alliance Unichem, to become part of Alliance Boots, an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. In June 2007 Alliance Boots was acquired by AB Acquisitions Limited (a company jointly controlled by certain funds advised by KKR and Stefano Pessina), and its shares were delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Go to | Previous Page |
|