Weston family to acquire U.K. pharmacy chain Boots in $8.9B deal

The Weston family, owners of Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada, has announced the acquisition of Boots, a British high street pharmacy and beauty retailer, for USD $8.9 billion ($12.7 billion CAD). Wittington Investments, the holding company of the Weston family, will take over Boots' operations in the U.K. and Ireland, as well as the company's franchised arm in Thailand, optical division and beauty brand No7.

Boots, founded in Nottingham in 1771 by John Boot, currently operates 1,800 stores in the U.K. and employs 50,000 people. The investment firm Fairfax is supporting the deal and expressed confidence in Wittington's ability to manage the business. The acquisition also marks the departure of Boots' long-time backers, Stefano Pessina and Sycamore Partners, who have owned the company since August 2025.

Boots is renowned for its innovation and iconic own-brand products. The company played a significant role in inventing ibuprofen in 1961 and has been operating its popular No7 beauty brand for nine decades. Boots was also the first U.K. chemist chain to introduce self-service stores in 1951. The Weston family has expressed respect for Boots' heritage and plans to continue investing in the company to enhance its strengths and potential.