Who Owns Boots?
Boots is part of The Boots Group, a privately owned UK-headquartered business. The current ownership structure dates from 28 August 2025, when private equity firm Sycamore Partners completed its acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and The Boots Group began operating as a standalone private company. Stefano Pessina and his family also reinvested their interests as part of the transaction.
For the UK retail business itself, Boots UK Limited is the company operating Boots stores and Boots.com. Companies House records show that Boots UK Limited is controlled through a chain of UK holding companies, while The Boots Group states that the relevant Boots holding companies are ultimately wholly owned by The Boots Group Limited.
Direct Answer: Who Owns Boots?
Boots is owned within The Boots Group, which became a standalone private business following the 2025 acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance by Sycamore Partners.
The acquisition was led by Sycamore Partners, with Stefano Pessina and his family retaining an investment in the business. The Boots Group confirmed at completion that its businesses would include Boots UK & Ireland, Boots Opticians, No7 Beauty Company and several other former international WBA operations.
This means it is no longer accurate to describe Boots simply as being owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance. WBA was acquired in August 2025, and its major businesses subsequently began operating as private standalone companies.
If you are comparing Boots with other major retailers, see our UK retail brand owners guide.
Ownership Structure Explained
The Boots ownership structure involves several different companies, so the answer depends on whether you mean the retail operator, immediate corporate owner or wider parent group.
Boots UK Limited operates the UK retail business
Boots UK Limited, company number 00928555, is an active private company registered in England and Wales. Companies House records describe its activities as including retail sales and dispensing chemist services.
Boots’ own website also states that Boots.com is a trading name of Boots UK Limited and that products sold through the website are sold by Boots UK Limited. Pharmacy and prescription services offered through the site are also provided by Boots UK Limited under professional pharmacy supervision.
So when a customer shops at Boots in the UK, Boots UK Limited is the important operating company to identify.
Alliance Boots Holdings Limited sits above Boots UK Limited
Companies House lists Alliance Boots Holdings Limited as the active person with significant control over Boots UK Limited. Its recorded control includes ownership of 75% or more of the shares and voting rights.
Alliance Boots Holdings Limited is therefore an important part of the legal ownership chain, but it should not automatically be treated as the ultimate owner of the Boots business.
The Boots Group’s own corporate reporting states that Alliance Boots Holdings Limited and a number of other legacy WBA companies are ultimately wholly owned by The Boots Group Limited.
This is why ownership searches can produce several different company names for the same brand. Our ownership glossary explains the difference between an operating company, parent company, shareholder and ultimate parent.
The Boots Group is now the wider parent business
The Boots Group was established as a private standalone company following the Sycamore transaction.
Its announcement on 28 August 2025 said the company would comprise former international Walgreens Boots Alliance businesses including:
- Boots UK & Ireland;
- Boots Opticians;
- No7 Beauty Company;
- Boots pharmacy operations in Thailand;
- international Boots franchise operations;
- Farmacias Benavides in Mexico;
- Alliance Healthcare Germany; and
- existing retail investments in China.
Companies House records for The Boots Group Limited, company number 16571857, show that it is an active UK private limited company.
Its persons-with-significant-control record currently lists Stefano Pessina as holding more than 25% but not more than 50% of its shares and voting rights. Stefan Kaluzny, managing director of Sycamore Partners, is recorded as having significant influence or control.
A Companies House PSC entry is not the same thing as a complete shareholder register, so those records should not be used to calculate the entire economic ownership of The Boots Group.
For more on tracing companies through several ownership layers, see our brand parent company lookup guide.
Is Sycamore Partners the owner of Boots?
Sycamore Partners is the private equity firm that led the acquisition which took Walgreens Boots Alliance private.
Both the acquisition announcement and The Boots Group’s own announcement describe the transaction as an acquisition by Sycamore Partners, undertaken in partnership with Stefano Pessina and his family.
It is therefore reasonable to describe Boots as part of a Sycamore-backed private group, but this should not be simplified into a claim that Sycamore is the sole beneficial owner. Public UK records show that Stefano Pessina also has a significant ownership position in The Boots Group Limited.
Who owns the Boots trademarks?
Brand ownership and trademark ownership are not always identical.
The UK Intellectual Property Office records individual trademarks against their registered proprietors. Recent Boots-related registrations, including BOOTS EXTRACTS and other Boots-branded marks, name The Boots Company PLC as the proprietor.
The Boots Company PLC is itself an active UK company within the wider Boots corporate structure.
However, trademark ownership should always be checked mark by mark. Different Boots names, logos, sub-brands and product ranges can have separate registrations, and a company operating the retail business does not necessarily own every intellectual property right associated with the brand.
How to Verify the Information
Boots has a multi-company ownership structure, so the most reliable approach is to check several official records rather than relying on a single company name.
Start with Boots UK Limited on Companies House. Its company number is 00928555. The company record confirms its legal status, while the persons-with-significant-control section identifies the controlling entity recorded immediately above it. Check Boots UK Limited at Companies House
You can then trace the holding companies further up the structure. The Boots Group’s own corporate reporting is particularly useful because it identifies several legacy Boots and WBA companies as ultimately wholly owned by The Boots Group Limited.
For the wider ownership change, check the official 28 August 2025 acquisition announcement and The Boots Group’s announcement that it became a standalone private company.
For trademarks, search the UK Intellectual Property Office register using the exact word, logo or brand name you want to verify. Do not assume that the company operating Boots stores automatically owns every Boots-related trademark.
Ownership can change following acquisitions, restructurings or transfers between group companies, so current records should always be date-checked.
Common Misunderstandings
“Boots is still owned by Walgreens”
This is outdated.
Boots was previously part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, but Sycamore Partners completed its acquisition of WBA on 28 August 2025. The Boots Group then began operating separately as a private standalone company.
“Boots UK Limited is the ultimate owner”
Boots UK Limited is the UK operating company, but Companies House shows another company above it in the ownership chain.
Alliance Boots Holdings Limited is recorded as controlling Boots UK Limited, while The Boots Group reports that Alliance Boots Holdings Limited is ultimately wholly owned by The Boots Group Limited.
“The company running Boots.com must own every Boots trademark”
Not necessarily.
Boots.com is operated by Boots UK Limited, but trademark rights can sit with another company in the same corporate group. UK IPO records show The Boots Company PLC as the proprietor of a number of Boots-branded trademarks.
“A person with significant control is automatically the sole owner”
No. A PSC record identifies a person or legal entity meeting particular control thresholds. It does not necessarily show every shareholder or provide a complete picture of economic ownership.
That distinction matters when looking at The Boots Group, where public records show Stefano Pessina with more than 25% but not more than 50% of shares and voting rights, alongside significant influence or control attributed to Stefan Kaluzny.
Related Ownership Guides
Boots is one example of why familiar retail brands can have several companies sitting behind them.
Use the brand ownership database to explore other brands and the companies behind them.
If you are researching another retailer, our UK retail brand owners guide covers the wider retail ownership category.
For a direct comparison with another major UK health and beauty retailer, see who owns Superdrug.
You can also use our who owns this brand guide to work through the main checks for identifying a brand owner, operator, parent company and trademark proprietor.
FAQs
Who owns Boots in the UK?
Boots UK is operated by Boots UK Limited, but the business sits within The Boots Group. The Boots Group became a private standalone company after Sycamore Partners completed its acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance in August 2025.
Does Walgreens still own Boots?
No. Walgreens Boots Alliance was acquired by Sycamore Partners on 28 August 2025, after which The Boots Group began operating as a separate private company containing Boots UK & Ireland and other former WBA international businesses.
Is Boots owned by Sycamore Partners?
Sycamore Partners led the acquisition that created the current privately owned Boots structure. However, the transaction was completed in partnership with Stefano Pessina and his family, and Companies House records show Pessina as holding more than 25% but not more than 50% of the shares and voting rights in The Boots Group Limited. It is therefore more precise to describe Boots as part of a Sycamore-backed private group rather than saying Sycamore is necessarily its sole owner.
What company operates Boots stores and Boots.com?
Boots UK Limited, company number 00928555, operates the UK retail business. Boots’ terms and conditions state that Boots.com is a trading name of Boots UK Limited and that products on the site are sold by that company.
How can I check who owns Boots?
Start with Boots UK Limited on Companies House, review its persons-with-significant-control information and follow the companies above it in the ownership chain. You should then compare those records with current announcements from The Boots Group. For trademark questions, search the UK Intellectual Property Office separately because the operating company and trademark proprietor may differ.
Ownership structures can change, so use the latest official filings rather than relying on older references to Walgreens Boots Alliance.
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