Boots Learning Store - Boots Section

Boots Learning Store : Boots section : Diary of Events

1849	John Boot opened a herbalist shop in Goose Gate, Nottingham.
1850	Jesse Boot was born in Nottingham.
1871	John's widow, Mary Boot, and son, Jesse began trading as M & J Boot, Herbalists.
1877	Jesse Boot took over control of the shop.

1879	Edgar Moss was born in Staffordshire.
1883	Boot & Company Ltd formed.
1884	Boots first pharmacist appointed.
1885	Development of Boots manufacturing facilities around Island Street, Nottingham.
1888	Company renamed Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd.
1892	Flagship Boots store opened at Pelham Street, Nottingham.
1898	Boots Booklovers' Library established.
1902	Edgar Moss qualified as a pharmacist.
1915	Edgar Moss bought his first pharmacy business in Feltham.

1920	Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd sold to the United Drug Company of America.
1921	Edgar Moss opened his second pharmacy in Hayes.
1923	Edgar Moss opened his first warehouse in Feltham, in a corrugated iron army hut.
1926	John Boot became Chairman of Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd.
1928	Edgar’s son, Harold, joined the company as a qualified pharmacist and manager of the Southall store.
1929	D1 Soap factory, the first building on the new Beeston site, Nottingham, completed.
1931	Jesse Boot died at the age of 81
1933	Ownership of Boots returned to the UK. D10 "Wets" factory opened at Beeston. 1000th Boots store opened in Galashiels, Scotland.
1934	E. Moss Ltd formed. Harold Moss became Managing Director.
1935	No7 cosmetics launched.

1936	First Boots branch in New Zealand opened. E. Moss Ltd moved to Fern Grove, Feltham.
1939	Soltan sun care range introduced.
1947	Boots established companies to carry out wholesale businesses in Australia, Canada, Pakistan and the Far East.
1948	Inauguration of the National Health Service.
1949	New Boots factory opened at Airdrie in Scotland to manufacture cosmetics. New Boots factory near Bombay in India went into production. Edgar Moss retired but continued as a Governing Director.
1951	First self-service Boots stores trialled in London.
1953	John Boot retired as chairman.
1954	E. Moss Ltd opened its first photographic store in Staines
1958	Edgar Moss died at the age of 79
1968	Boots acquired Timothy Whites & Taylors Ltd chemists and house ware chain. New Boots The Chemists Headquarters office, D90 opened at Beeston. Launch of 17 cosmetics. Fern Grove Head Office and warehouse extensions completed
1969	Boots launched Ibuprofen (Brufen) in the UK. E. Moss Ltd. established an Industrial Sales Division
1971	Company renamed The Boots Company Ltd. Acquisition of Crookes Laboratories Ltd by Boots.
1974	Harold Moss retired from the business

1982	Company renamed The Boots Company PLC. New Boots factory opened at Cramlington, Northumberland.
1983	Nurofen launched, following the approval of Ibuprofen as an over the counter analgesic. Boots opened their first in-store optical practice.
1984	Boots (Retail Buying) Hong Kong Ltd established. Moss became the sole supplier of medical supplies to British Airways
1985	Boots Research Department received the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for the discovery and development of ibuprofen.
1987	Boots Opticians Ltd formed, with the acquisition of Clement Clarke Ltd and Curry and Paxton Ltd. Boots Opticians became the UK's second largest retail optics chain.
1989	Boots Property Division established. Natural Collection launched.
1990	Boots Contract Manufacturing and Boots Healthcare International established. UniChem Plc acquires Moss Chemists. The company begins a period of rapid expansion, acquiring an average of 65 branches per year.
1992	Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) computer installation completed in all Boots stores.
1994	Moss acquires the Selles Pharmacy chain based in the Hull area.
1995	Boots Pharmaceuticals sold to BASF. Botanics skincare range launched
1996	First Boots store in the Irish Republic opened, in Dublin.
1997	UniChem Plc merges with Alliance Santé to become Alliance UniChem making it one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in Europe. Boots Advantage Card launched.

1998	Acquisition of Hayes, Conyngham and Robinson, and Connors, making Boots the largest retail pharmacy chain in Ireland.
1999	Moss Chemists re-launches itself as Moss Pharmacy.
2000	Bootsphoto.com launched - a new, complete e-photo service.
2001	Boots Opticians offer the world's first disposable hearing aid, Songbird. Moss relocates its head office to Fern House, Feltham.
2002	Company renamed Boots Group PLC.
2003	Online shopping channel renamed boots.com
2004	Moss begins development of its new Advanced Pharmacy Management System. The new system is compliant with the new NHS contract and covers the requirements of not only England and Wales but also Scotland.
2005	Moss Pharmacy announced that its network of 878 community pharmacies were to be re-branded as Alliance Pharmacy. Alliance Pharmacy announces the acquisition of Bairds Chemists in Northern Ireland. Bairds is the largest multiple pharmacy chain in Northern Ireland.
2006	Boots Healthcare International is sold to Reckitt Benckiser Boots Group merged with Alliance Unichem to form Alliance Boots PLC, an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group.
2007	Alliance Boots was acquired by AB acquisitions Ltd, a company formed by Stefano Pessina, Executive Chairman Alliance Boots and Kholberg Kravis Roberts.