Boots was founded in Nottingham in 1849 by John Boot as a herbalist shop.
John Boot opened the original business to provide affordable herbal remedies to working-class customers. After his death, his son Jesse Boot expanded the company and developed a larger chain of shops. The business later added conventional medicines, toiletries, beauty products and photographic services.
Boots became one of Britain’s best-known pharmacy-led retailers. Its name is sometimes confused with the footwear word “boots,” but the retail chain takes its name from the Boot family. The company’s headquarters and identity remain strongly associated with Nottingham, where its early history began.