Boots sold to Canadian billionaire family Wittington Investments

High Street retailer Boots has been acquired by Wittington Investments, bringing new ownership to its network of 1,800 British stores.

FTMQ Business, written by our newsroom10 October 2026 at 01:020 views

The British High Street chain Boots has been sold to Wittington Investments, the BBC reported on October 9. Wittington Investments is the holding company for the Weston family, a wealthy Canadian family with extensive experience in the retail sector. [1][2]

According to the BBC, upgrading the portfolio of 1,800 Boots stores is a high priority for the new owners. The business has performed well in recent years, introducing new beauty sections in larger branches to offer a department store experience. [1]

The Weston family previously owned Selfridges and currently maintains ownership of several major retailers in North America. The United Kingdom branch of the family also controls Associated British Foods, which owns the retail chain Primark. [1]

The BBC reported that the new owners have not disclosed specific plans for how Boots stores will look in the future. [1]

Boots has been sold to Canadian holding company Wittington Investments.
Wittington Investments is controlled by the Weston family.
Boots operates a portfolio of 1,800 stores across the United Kingdom.
Upgrading the 1,800 store portfolio is a priority for the new owners.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

[1]Boots has a new owner: Three ways it could affect youBBC Business, 2h ago (the report this story comes from)
[2]Boots has a new owner: Three ways it could affect youBBC, 2h ago

Background

[3]Inline skates on Wikipedia
[4]Homeowner association on Wikipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 4 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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