Watsons or A.S. Watson (Chinese: 屈臣氏, JP: wat1san4 si6, PY: qūchén shì) is the retail and consumer division of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. Since 2005, when it acquired European retailer Marionnaud, A. S. Watson has been the largest health and beauty retailer in the world.
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History
The history of A.S. Watson dates back to 1828, with the opening of the Canton Dispensary. The small dispensary was formed as a clinic providing free medical services to the poor people of Canton in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
In 1858, Alexander Skirving Watson joined the Hong Kong Dispensary as Manager, with responsibility for the dispensing side of the business in 1860 when his uncle Dr Thomas Boswell Watson became major partner. At the death of Dr T. B. Watson in 1861, the Hong Kong Dispensary was leased to A.S. Watson and two other doctors, and from 1862 onwards, the name A.S. Watson featured prominently at the Hong Kong Dispensary. In 1871, the Watson family leased the company to Dr John David Humphreys and Dr Arthur Hunt, and thereafter trading was executed under the name A.S. Watson & Company. Retail outlets were known as "Watsons the Chemist".
The current owners, Hutchison Group, acquired a controlling interest in A.S. Watson & Co., Ltd in 1963. In 1981, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. At this time, the group had 75 retail outlets.
Retail operations by type
Today, A.S. Watson has retail and manufacturing operations in 37 markets worldwide, and employs over 98,000 staff. Its retail network of over 7,700 stores spans health & beauty chains, perfumeries & cosmetics, grocery, consumer electronics, wine, and duty-free.
Watsons drugstores
In Asia, Watsons main retail business is the "Watsons Your Personal Store" drugstore chain. Watsons now operates this store format in several territories in Asia including Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand, Macau, and South Korea. It has recently launched this format in Turkey, Estonia and Slovenia.
Other health and beauty
Watsons has expanded rapidly in Europe through a major acquisition programme which has seen the group become the world's biggest health and beauty retailer.
In 2000, Watsons purchased the UK-based "Savers" discount drugstore chain. Subsequently Watsons acquired The Netherlands-based Kruidvat Group, through which the company added over 1,900 stores to its business and for the first time entered the Dutch, German and Belgian marketplaces where Kruidvat traded as Kruidvat, Trekpleister, ICI PARIS XL and Rossmann. This transaction also added "Superdrug", the second largest health and beauty retailer in the UK (after Alliance Boots), to its portfolio.
As at January 2005, the company had some 4,500 shops in 19 countries around the world[1]. More recently Watsons has acquired the "Drogas" drugstore chains, The French-based "Marionnaud" perfumery business in March 2005[2], "The Perfume Shop" retail chain in the UK and "Spketr" (СПЕКТР) health & beauty retail chain in Russia and "DC", the largest health & beauty retail chain in Ukraine.
Food
Watsons controls the "PARKnSHOP" supermarket, acquired in 1972. ASW provides a range of beverages from bottled water, fruit juices, soft drinks and tea products to wine via its international wine wholesaler and distributor. Local bottler for Sunkist soft drinks, Watsons owns several well-known beverage brands including "Watsons Water", and "Mr. Juicy".
Electrical goods
Watsons also controls the Fortress electrical chain, which it acquired in 1990.
Retail operations by market
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- Austria - Marionnaud
- Belgium - Kruidvat
- Mainland China - Watsons Your Personal Store (est 1989, now 200 stores), PARKnSHOP
- Czech Republic - Marionnaud, Rossmann
- Estonia - Watsons Your Personal Store
- France - Marionnaud (acquired 2005)
- Germany - Rossmann
- Hong Kong - Watsons Your Personal Store, PARKnSHOP (acquired 1972), TASTE food galleria, GOURMET food hall, GREAT Food Hall (est 2000), Fortress electrical appliances store(acquired 1990), Watson's Wine Cellar (est 1997); Nuance-Watson (est 1998), The Atrium and Temptation (Duty Free) at Hong Kong International Airport
- Hungary - Rossmann, Marionnaud
- Indonesia - Watsons Your Personal Store
- Italy - Marionnaud
- Latvia & Lithuania - Drogas (acquired 2004)
- Macau - Watsons
- Malaysia - Watsons Your Personal Store
- Netherlands - Kruidvat (acquired 2002), Trekpleister
- Philippines - Watsons Your Personal Store (in collaboration with SM Prime Holdings)
- Poland - Rossmann
- Russia - Spektr (acquired 2005)
- Singapore - Watsons Your Personal Store
- Slovakia - Marionnaud
- Slovenia - Watsons Your Personal Store
- South Korea - Watsons Your Personal Store
- Spain - Marionnaud
- Switzerland - Marionnaud, Badaracco (wines)
- Taiwan - Watsons Your Personal Store (300 stores)
- Thailand- Watsons Your Personal Store (วัตสัน...ร้านถูกใจของคุณ)
- Turkey- Watsons Your Personal Store
- Ukraine - Watsons Your Personal Store
- United Kingdom - Savers (acquired 2000), Superdrug, The Perfume Shop
References
- ^ "Perfume Empire". Oligopoly Watch. 24 January 2005. http://www.oligopolywatch.com/2005/01/24.html. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- ^ Pitman, Simon (24 January 2005). "EU agrees Hutchison acquisition of Marionnaud". cosmetics design-europe. http://www.oligopolywatch.com/2005/01/24.html. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
External links
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