Boots Ireland
Irish subsidiary of Boots pharmacy and beauty stores
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boots Ireland is the Irish subsidiary of the British pharmacy and beauty chain, Boots.[1] Since 1996, the chain has expanded to almost 90 stores across the Republic of Ireland.
Logo used since 2019 | |
 Boots branch in Mullingar | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 5 November 2002 |
| Founder | John Boot |
| Headquarters | Citywest Business Campus, , |
Number of locations | 89 (2023) |
Area served | Ireland |
Key people | Stephen Watkins (Managing director) |
Number of employees | 2,000 (2023) |
| Parent | Boots |
| Subsidiaries | Boots Hearingcare Ireland |
| Website | boots |
History
In 1996, Boots stated they were making a £7.6 million investment in the Republic of Ireland at an announcement in the Clarence Hotel; the first Boots store opened later that year.[2] In 1998, the Small Firm Association recommended to Boots that they should set up a company within Ireland for the Irish market.[3] The subsidiary was registered on 5 November 2002 as Boots Retail (Ireland) Limited.[4]
In 2006, the parent company Boots became Alliance Boots following a merger with Alliance UniChem.[5] In 2014, Alliance Boots merged with Walgreens to form Walgreens Boots Alliance.[6] On 24 April 2019, Boots Hearingcare Ireland was registered as they began to provide hearing aids and free hearing tests.[7]
In September 2020, Stephen Watkins was appointed as managing director, succeeding Bernadette Lavrery who was then appointed director of pharmacy in the parent company.[8] In May 2021, Michelle Kearns was appointed chief information officer.[9]
Stores
The first store in Ireland opened on 8 November 1996 in the Jervis Shopping Centre, representing an investment of £3.6 million and employing 150 people.[10] The second store was officially opened in The Square Tallaght on 17 February 1997, creating an additional 40 jobs.[11][12]
As of 2023, there are 89 stores across Ireland.[13]
Partnerships
In 1999, they launched an asthma awareness campaign in partnership with the Asthma Association of Ireland.[14] In 2012, Boots formed a partnership with the Irish Cancer Society to support those living with cancer in Ireland.[15][16][17]
Website
On 14 June 2013, the website was launched, enabling customers to purchase online.[18] In October 2014, the company created its Click and Collect service, allowing customers to pay for items online and then collect them in-store.[19]