The last time Boots was owned by Americans it benefited from something of a renaissance. But Rexall Corp, which owned the British health and beauty chain as demand for beauty products exploded in the 1920s, had it easy compared with Stefano Pessina, the boss of its current US parent. Boots is possibly the most ubiquitous retailer in the UK; its store estate of more than 2,500 rivals the country’s biggest supermarket groups, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The brutal conditions on high streets mean it is facing one of the most challenging periods in its 170-year history.
The last time Boots was owned by Americans it benefited from something of a renaissance. But Rexall Corp, which owned the British health and beauty chain as demand for beauty products exploded in the 1920s, had it easy compared with Stefano Pessina, the boss of its current US parent. Boots is possibly the most ubiquitous retailer in the UK; its store estate of more than 2,500 rivals the country’s biggest supermarket groups, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The brutal conditions on high streets mean it is facing one of the most challenging periods in its 170-year history.
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